Unfortunate Circumstances
by Lady Orchid
Summary: Inuyasha and Kagome meet in an online chat room and discover that they live in the same city. A friendship blooms, and things seem okay. Okay, that is, until Inuyasha gets wind of something horrible that's supposed to happen to his internet buddy. Currently on hiatus until I can get my life together.
1. About cats and dogs

(AN: This is just something I came up with one day in biology. Goodness knows I hate biology. Quite frankly, I don't care how photosynthesis occurs. I really don't care. I HATE BIOLOGY! It's so boring. 'sigh' Oh. Yeah. You're still here aren't you... 'smiles nervously' Ummm... Yeah. Please read and review. I am not above begging. I promise. Please? If you don't review, I will be forced to send my minions after you 'insert sinister chuckle here'. Please? Please? Pwwweeeeaaassseee?)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha. I don't own Inuyasha. I don't own. . . WAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

**Chapter One: About cats and dogs**

**DogBoy88**: Everyone knows that dogs are better.

**SchoolGirl2720:** No way! Cats are smaller and cuter and nicer.

**Dogboy88**: And they just happen to claw your eyes out.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Yeah. Just like a dog will bite your leg off

**DogBoy88:** But only in odd cases. Cats on the other hand decide to remodel your face for no reason.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Have you ever heard of a cat that vicious enough to kill someone? You hear about dogs attacking someone all the time on the news.

**DogBoy88:** . . .

**SchoolGirl2720:** hmmm?

**DogBoy88**: . . . well, have you ever heard of a dog stupid enough to get stuck in a tree?

Kagome sat back in her chair and laughed. Although she disagreed with his notion that dogs were better than cats, she had to admit that a dog stuck in a tree was something she had never seen.

**SchoolGirl2720:** ummm. . . no. Can't say that I have.

**DogBoy88: **So you admit it, then? Dogs are better than cats?

**SchoolGirl2720:** No way! Just because cats get stuck in trees doesn't mean that dogs are better. Cats are very sensitive creatures.

**DogBoy88:** Yeah. Sensitive to the point that they're useless. I mean, sure. A dog will bite off somebody's limb. But they could be protecting you from an attacker! Now you tell me what your precious cats would do!

Kagome paused, hands frozen over the keys, to think. What _would_ a cat do? She sat for a moment, then grinned, typed her response, and pressed SEND.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Claw his eyes out?

**DogBoy88:** Ha. Should have seen that one coming.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Yes. You most certainly should have.

**Dog Boy88:** 'sighs' Lets call this one a draw okay? Cats aren't stupid useless furballs

**SchoolGirl2720**: And dogs aren't rabid possessed flea bags.

**DogBoy88:** You're pushing it.

**SchoolGirl2720:** 'laughs' I know.

**DogBoy88: **You should be glad that you're getting away with it. If you were anyone else, you'd be facing the consequences..

**SchoolGirl2720:** Oh? And what might those be?

**DogBoy88: **I'd rather not offend your sensitive nature by revealing my... less than nice side.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Uh huh. Right.

**DogBoy88**: Don't you roll your eyes at me.

**SchoolGirl2720:** How'd you know I rolled my eyes? Don't tell me you're a dog lover _and_ a mind reader!

**DogBoy88:** Yep. You got me. Seriously though, I can just imagine you sitting there and rolling your eyes. It just seemed like something you'd do.

**SchoolGirl2720**: Bingo!

**DogBoy88: **And now you're laughing. I can feel it in my bones. I'm right, aren't I?

**SchoolGirl2720:** Yep.

**DogBoy88: **Oh yeah. I know you like the back of my hand.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Is that so?

**DogBoy88**: Yeah. Sure is.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Hmmph. You think you're so much. I don't know why I bother chatting with you.

**DogBoy88:** Because I'm the most kind, polite, and brilliant person you've ever had the honor of chatting with?

**SchoolGirl2720**: Ha! Dream on! Don't flatter yourself.

**DogBoy88: **Ok... um... maybe because I'm an interesting conversationalist?

**SchoolGirl2720:** That's more like it. Good doggy. Now I'll pat you head as a reward.

**DogBoy88**: Try it and see if you come away with all of your fingers.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Ack! Vicious! Vicious, I tell you!

**DogBoy88**: And don't you forget it.

**SchoolGirl2720**: Is that a threat?

**DogBoy88:** No. If I was threatening you, you'd know it. And besides, I wouldn't threaten you.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Is that a compliment?

**DogBoy88:** Sure is. Take it or leave it.

**SchoolGirl2720:** I'll take it. Thanks.

**DogBoy88:** You're welcome.

**SchoolGirl2720:** You know, you're a pretty nice guy for a dog lover.

**DogBoy88:** You should know that about me by know.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Yeah. We've been meeting in this chat room for a while now, huh?

**DogBoy88: **Yep. Two weeks, I think.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Wow.

**DogBoy88:** SchoolGirl?

**SchoolGirl2720:** Yes?

**DogBoy88:** You're a pretty nice girl...

**SchoolGirl2720:** Let me guess. For a cat lover?

**DogBoy88:** For anyone.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Thank you. But I know you're just saying that.

**DogBoy88:** You're welcome. And I'm serious. You're a really kind person.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Aaurgh! You're embarrassing me!

**DogBoy88:** I bet you're blushing now.

**SchoolGirl2720:** . . . I refuse to dignify that with an answer.

**DogBoy88:** Why now? I was just wondering because I bet you're beautiful when you blush.

Kagome was blushing now, feeling quite shy all of a sudden. She wasn't used to such compliments from anyone. Well, no one who actually meant it. And, although she had no idea who this DogBoy88 was, she had a feeling that he did mean it.

**DogBoy88:** I'm right, aren't I? You're blushing.

**SchoolGirl2720:** . . .

**DogBoy88: **Okay. So you're not going to answer me?

**SchoolGirl2720: **No. I won't.

**DogBoy88: **Fine.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Well, it's late. I've gotta be going.

**DogBoy88: **Wait!

**SchoolGirl2720:** Hmm?

**DogBoy88: **Uh. . .

**SchoolGirl2720: **Well, if you've got nothing to say...

**DogBoy88: **I do. I umm... I wanted to know if. . .

**SchoolGirl2720: **If?

**DogBoy88: **If... You could tell me your name?

**SchoolGirl2720: **Uh. . .

**DogBoy88: **No. Never mind. You don't have to tell me. I was just curious, that's all.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Well, I don't think it'll hurt too much.

**DogBoy88: **Oh. You don't have to give me your whole name. Just the first name will do. I just want to brag to all my friends about the really sweet girl I've been chatting with for the past couple of weeks.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Oh, uh, okay. My name's Kagome. Kagome H.

**DogBoy88: **Kagome. That's a great name. Pretty.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Now your turn.

**DogBoy88: **Oh. Uh... my name's Inuyasha.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Seriously?

**DogBoy88: **Yeah. Seriously.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Inuyasha, huh? DogBoy. Ha. You take this screen name seriously, huh?

**DogBoy88: **Ha. Yeah. I guess I did. Well, Kagome. It's nice to finally know your name. Bye.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Yeah. Bye, Inuyasha. Talk to you soon.

Kagome got up from the computer, a small grin on her face and her cheeks still slightly pink. _Inuyasha,_ she thought, her smile growing wider as she got into bed. She fell asleep still beaming.

(AN: Just another friendly reminder: REVIEW OR THE MINIONS WILL GET YOU! Hey. That rhymed.)


	2. Temper temper

1(AN: I would like to thank my reviewers. I will try to update as soon as I possibly can, although I may have a few delays. Finals are coming up. Enough said. But I will try. Oh yes. REVIEW! My minions are growing restless. Please? Review? For me?)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inuyasha. Thanks for bringing up such a painful subject.

**Chapter Two: Temper temper**

Inuyasha still sat at the computer, a barely visible grin touching his lips. _Kagome H. I wonder what the 'H' stands for? She said that she lives here in Tokyo. I wish I could meet her. But she won't want to meet me. If she didn't want to give me her name, she _sure _won't want to meet me. But she likes to talk to me. That's a plus. _

His happiness became more apparent the longer he thought. He was actually smiling until he heard whispers and soft laughter coming from the direction of a couch across the room. "Those had better be some really smart mice," he growled, approaching the seemingly innocent piece of furniture. There was a sudden silence. Inuyasha peered over the back of the couch, glowering at the two who cowered on the floor behind it.

They didn't move. "Maybe it we stay still," the dark-haired, blue eyed boy started, "he won't see us."

"Oh I hope so," murmured the girl beside him.

"Sango? Miroku? What the hell do you think you're doing?" said Inuyasha through clenched teeth. His tone was clipped and even, his voice low and menacing.

"Uh. . . W-we um, w-we were. . ." Miroku was at a loss. If Inuyasha was yelling, that was okay. But this threatening growl was quite frightening. Oh yeah. He was mad.

"You know what? Since I'm in a good mood, I'll give you a head start." Inuyasha's amber eyes glinted dangerously.

They didn't have to be told twice. "Run. Run now. Sango, RUN!" Miroku cried, shoving the girl from behind the couch and towards the door. The two teens half ran, half stumbled into the hallway and made a mad dash for the stairs. Inuyasha wasn't far behind. They could hear him climbing steadily after them. Upon reaching the top, Miroku and Sango darted for the first door they could find, a spare bedroom. They frantically tried to get inside to safety, but Inuyasha was upon them before they could close the door all the way. Realizing their impending doom, Sango and Miroku backed as far away from the fuming boy as they could.

"Inuyasha," started Sango hesitantly, "I know you're mad. . ."

"You're damned right I'm mad. So you two are still spying on me, huh?"

"But we didn't do anything!" _I hope he's buying this,_ thought Sango.

"Right. When I left to get something to drink, you didn't read my conversation with Kim?"

"Kim? I thought her name was Kago. . . uh oh." muttered Miroku, not thinking. Sango groaned and covered her eyes with her hand, shaking her head. _We're really in for it now._

"N-n-now Inuyasha, wait," stammered the young man.

He didn't reply, but just strode towards Miroku, a small smile forming on his lips.

"I swear. I'll never do it again. Oh come on, Inuyasha. Not the nose! Please not the nose!"

Several minutes later, a very calm amber-eyed young man exited the spare bedroom nearest the stairs on the second floor, leaving in his wake two teenagers, one bruised and battered, the other thoroughly frightened.

"So. . . You think he likes her?" asked Miroku, trying to get to his feet with help from Sango.

"Definitely."

:-:

"Kagome? Anybody home? Earth to Kagome!" Eri cried, waving her hand in front of the dazed girl's eyes.

"Huh? You say something?" Kagome asked, looking up.

"Yeah! What's wrong with you?" questioned Ayumi, concerned.

"Oh. Nothing. I'm just tired, I guess," she replied with a shrug.

"Uh huh. She's tired because she spent all last night chatting with that guy," said Yuka with a devious smile.

Kagome just glared at her best friend/room mate and didn't reply.

"Guy? What guy? What aren't you telling us?" asked Eri, leaning forward eagerly.

"She's been talking to this guy online for the past few weeks," Yuka answered with a smug grin.

"The past few weeks? Why didn't you tell us?" asked Ayumi, offended.

"Because it's not important. He's just a guy that I've been talking to in a chat room--"

"For a few weeks? That seems important to me! Is he nice? What's he look like? Where is he? America?" There was an eagerness in Eri's eyes as question after question spilled from her lips. An eagerness that told Kagome that she couldn't get by without answering.

"Uh. . . yeah. He's really nice, I guess. I don't know how he looks. And. . ." Kagome gulped, not wanting to continue, "He's here in Tokyo," she responded hesitantly. Her friends squealed, making half the cafeteria in their all-girl school turn in their direction. "Keep it down, you guys," muttered Kagome, eyeing all the people that were staring at their table.

"Are you going to meet him?" asked Ayumi, eyes shining with delight.

"Of course she's not going to meet him!" exclaimed Yuka. "He could be some fifty year-old pervert!"

"And he could be the love of her life! How old is he, Kagome?" questioned Eri.

"Uh. . . I think he said he was seventeen? I think?"

"Oh it's so perfect!" cried Ayumi happily.

"If he's not lying to her. Haven't you heard about those really old guys that pretend to be teenagers so they can get the girl to trust him? He convinces her that he's all nice and sweet, then she goes to meet him and BAM! She's never heard from again. Then they find her body in some alley weeks later. You can't go meet him, Kagome! That could be your body we find in an alley some day!" exclaimed Yuka, amazingly in one breath. Her friends just stared at her for a moment, then went back to talking as if she didn't say anything.

"We haven't talked about meeting yet," said Kagome, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, you guys. I've never been around people who overreact so much."

"Well, if you like him, you should meet him. In a public place, like the mall. That way if he _is_ old you can just walk away," said Ayumi dreamily, eyes far away as if she were imagining it that very moment. Suddenly she looked at Kagome. "You do like him, right?"

The girl suddenly found the table very interesting.

"Oh come on, Kagome. Do you like him or not?" asked Ayumi again.

"Uh. . ." She could feel the color rising to her cheeks.

"See? She's blushing! You know you like him, Kagome," taunted Eri in a singsong voice. "You like him. You like him! You know you do! You're head over heels for him! You like him!"

"Oh come on, Eri," sighed Ayumi, rolling her eyes.

"She's not going to say anything. Just leave her alone," agreed Yuka, taking a sip of her coke.

"Not until she admits it." Eri turned to look at Kagome. "Come on, Kagome. You like him, don't you? Just admit it! Come on. Just one word. 'Yes.' Or better yet, a sentence or two. 'Yes, Eri, I like him. I'm madly, head over heels in love with him.' Come on. How hard can it be?"

"Goodness, Eri. You're even annoying me now. Cut it out," said Ayumi.

"Fine. I'm just trying to help Kagome be honest with herself, that's all."

"Right," muttered Yuka sarcastically.

"Or just torturing her for your own sick amusement," added Ayumi.

"Whatever."

The girls finished their food, not bothering to speak.

"Hey guys?" asked Eri, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?" asked Ayumi, glancing up from her empty tray.

"Do any of you get that stuff in math? I'm totally clueless."

"Eri! Why do you wait so long to ask? The test is tomorrow!" exclaimed Yuka, annoyed.

"Well, I almost forgot. You should be happy that I remembered that there's a test tomorrow."

"Well, that's true," muttered Kagome.

They all laughed. "Eri Eri Eri," said Ayumi, still smiling. "Always the procrastinator."

"Yeah. But you've got to love me for it," she replied, grinning.

"What would you do without us?" asked Kagome teasingly.

"I don't know. Fail?"

Yuka giggled. "Probably."

"Definitely," corrected Ayumi.

"Wow. It's good to know that you guys have faith in me," said Eri, insulted.

"We do have faith in you," replied Yuka.

"Yeah. Your ability to fail miserably," muttered Kagome with a smile. The table erupted in laughter. Eri stuck her tongue out at Kagome, who just smiled innocently and took a sip of her water.

"I'll tutor you later this afternoon, okay?" asked Ayumi. "I could use the review."

"I'll help," offered Yuka.

"Great! This will be so fun!" Everyone looked at Eri, who giggled nervously. "I mean. . . educational?"

"What about you, Kagome? What are you doing later on? Care to help tutor the mathematically challenged?" asked Ayumi.

"Oh. No, I've got things to do. Sorry." She started to take another sip of her water.

"Yeah. Things like talk to that guy. You know you like him, Kagome," taunted Eri.

Kagome stopped, drink halfway to her mouth, and made a threatening noise in the back of her throat. Standing silently, she walked over to Eri and poured the entire glass of her ice water over the girl's head. Then, she smiled, picked up her books, and walked away, calling over her shoulder, "See you guys later!"

After she left, Yuka and Ayumi looked at each other, smiling slightly as Eri shivered.

"She so totally likes him."

"Totally."

"It's cold."

:-:

Kagome exited the cafeteria, a smile still on her face. She wouldn't admit it to her friends, but she did, sorta, kinda, maybe, like this Inuyasha guy. Possibly. Maybe. Perhaps. _Maybe we should meet. Not soon, of course, but eventually. I could do like_ _Ayumi said and meet him in the mall. Then, if he's not who he says he is, I can leave without him even knowing. It'd be a full proof plan. If we decide to meet. Hmm. Maybe this isn't such a good idea. I mean, what would we do after we met? Would we go out? Would he ask me to be his girlfriend? _A blush crept into her cheeks. _Of course he wouldn't. He wouldn't ask _me_ to be his girlfriend_. But a tiny voice inside her said _Why not? He seems to like you when you chat online. Who says he won't ask you to be his girlfriend? He did say that you were a sweet girl ._ Kagome's blush came full force now, but she smiled. _Maybe he will ask me out. If he's not fifty. If we meet. If he likes me. _She gave an annoyed sigh, setting her books down on a nearby bench. _This chat room thing is complicated._

(AN: Whew. That's done. Thank goodness. I'll try to update tomorrow or the day after. I don't know. Whenever I find time. Please REVIEW! Thanks again to those of you who did. It means a lot. Suggestions and comments are welcome. Well, goodbye for now!)


	3. A Really Bad Day

(AN: Hi guys I'm back! Dodges rotten vegetables and various articles of heavy furniture I'm sorry! I meant to update soon, really I did, but I just couldn't! We had state tests all last week, so I couldn't update. I'm so sorry! Please forgive me? I'll make this chapter really good if you do! And if you don't, well. . . that sucks. Oh well. Read on!)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own InuYasha. But if anyone who sees him decides to kidnap him, put him in a box, and leave him under my Christmas tree with a big red bow on top, far be it for me to stop them.

**Chapter Three: A Really Bad Day. . .**

Kagome rushed through the classroom door just as the bell rang. '_I just barely made it. Thank goodness,' _she thought, making her way to her seat.

"Is there a reason you're late?" asked the teacher.

"But I wasn't--"

"Stop. It doesn't become young ladies to argue. Now once again, why are you late?"

Kagome gave a defeated sigh, keeping her eyes on the floor. "My locker wouldn't open," she murmured, shoulders slumped. Today was not a good day. First, her alarm clock didn't go off, making her late for school. Once at school, she realized that she'd left some of her books at home. Then, at lunch, she dropped her tray and didn't have enough money with her to buy a new one. Of course the table in the back, the 'upperclassmen' , laughed, not necessarily making matters any better. As luck would have it, the food splattered all over and of course she had to clean it up as they continued to laugh. Then, to top it all off, her locker door just had to be jammed, today of all days, making her late to class as well as making her day even worse. No. Today _really_ wasn't a good day.

The teacher rolled her eyes, "That's no excuse. Take your seat." and started that day's lesson. "Today, we will be studying the amoeba. . ."

Kagome did her best not to groan. _'Just when I thought today couldn't get any worse,'_ the dejected girl thought, opening her science book.

The rest of the time passed slowly. Very slowly. _'Why me?' _Kagome mused, fighting the urge to scream. The clock seemed to mock her as she counted down the seconds until three o'clock, when school ended. She recorded her thoughts on a scratch sheet of paper as the minutes inched by.

2:08. Amoeba- a protozoan of the genus _Amoeba_ occurring in water, soil, and as a parasite in other animals. Has no definite form. Consists essentially of a mass of protoplasm, containing one or more nuclei and surrounded by a delicate, flexible outer membrane.

2:14. If I squint really hard and close one eye, the teacher kina looks like an amoeba.

2:21. Maybe she's teaching us about them because they're her cousins. Yep. Her little, microscopic cousins that look like bags of jelly.

2:22. I'd kill for a jelly donut right now.

2:24. Maybe if I'm really nice to the guy from the donut shop, he'll give me a free one after school.

2:28. Or. . . I could go down and get a burger if I stopped by the room and got my wallet. I left it on top of the computer stand.

2:29. Hmm. Now that I think about it, the computer stand's a little dusty. I'll clean it tonight after I do my homework.

2:30. And talk to Inuyasha. I wonder what school he goes to. Maybe one near here? Yes. I wonder what class _he's_ in right now?

2:33. He's probably not in a class right now anyway. He seems like the type to skip a class every so often.

2:38. Yeah. And he'll be driving around with nothing to do.

2:41. And he'd just happen to be driving past my school.

2:45. Right by the science building. And he'd see me and know it's me. Don't know how. Not that this would ever happen. Not that I care or anything. . . But he'd know it's me. And he'd come inside, probably sneak past the teachers. He'd do that. And he'd come in here, knock the teacher unconscious to put the rest of the class out of their misery, then he'd take me out to his car and we'd leave. And he'd take me to the park. Where we'd climb the trees. Yes. That sounds good. . .

Kagome spent the next fourteen minutes daydreaming, a small happy smile on her face as she stared, unseeing, out of the window next to her.

2:59. ... and he'd tell me jokes. He seems funny like that. . .

Just then, the teacher's voice stopped it's monotone droning. The teacher looked at the clock and sighed. "Well class, the bell's going to ring, so for homework I want you all to do a three page paper on the amoeba, and it needs to be on my desk as soon as I see you tomorrow."

Kagome's good mood deflated like a balloon stabbed with a machete. Within twenty seconds, the bell had rung and that despondent feeling had returned, leaving her frame of mind even darker and gloomier than when she walked into the classroom exactly an hour and fifteen minutes earlier.

She walked on, eyes straight ahead, not noticing that Ayumi had caught up with her.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" her friend asked, putting an arm around her shoulders. "You seemed pretty down today. What's up?"

"Nothing, Ayumi. I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Uh, Kagome?"

"Hmm?"

"I hate to ask this, but my computer crashed a few days ago, and I was wondering, since we have that paper and all. . ."

"Of course. Use mine. Come over now, if you like."

"Thanks, Kagome. I'll make this up to you."

"Don't mention it." Kagome gave her friend the best smile she could muster, yet it still felt like a grimace. "Now lets go."

Seeing her friend's somewhat depressed mood, Ayumi's smile faltered. In that moment, she became determined to see her friend in a better mood before the night was over.

They arrived at Kagome's room minutes later, where the forlorn girl sat on her bed with a heavy sigh.

"Come on, Kagome. What's wrong?"

"It feels like the world just kicked me down a really long flight of stairs, then just sat there and laughed like some crazed, maniac, psycho clown," she muttered, her eyes covered with one hand.

Ayumi laughed softly. "That has to be the most creative way to say that you're having a really bad day."

"I can do better. If my luck doesn't change, come back tomorrow," said Kagome, waving a hand nonchalantly. Ayumi rolled her eyes, getting up and going to the computer. "Let me know when you're done, okay?"

Ayumi nodded and, as Kagome settled back amongst her pillows with her cd player, got down to business. She was going to have to concentrate in order for her plan to work. Kagome was going to be in a better mood before she left, of that she'd make sure.

':-:'

Hours later, Ayumi glanced over the final draft of her creation. Convinced that everything was fine, she hit PRINT.

Kagome had just waken up from a nap a few minutes earlier and now watched the girl at the computer. As page after page poured from her printer, she looked at her friend. "Ayumi, it only had to be three pages."

"I know."

"That looks like ten."

"It's only eight."

"But all you needed was three pages. You wrote five extra pages."

"Yeah."

"But why?"

"Because," Ayumi divided the paper into two stacks and handed one to Kagome, "these are two different papers, and one's yours."

Kagome stared at the papers in her hand, then at her friend. "What?"

"Now that you don't have to do this paper, your day doesn't seem so bad, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Ayumi. I'll make it up to you. . ."

"Nope. If you do, I'll consider it a grave insult and stop speaking to you. Got it?" Kagome nodded, smiling at last, and hugged her friend. Ayumi was the one to break their contact, gathering her stuff to go back to her room. At the doorway, she paused. "Oh yeah. You got an email, like, twenty minutes ago."

"What? Twenty minutes?" Kagome rushed to the computer, frantically clicking the mouse. "I hope he's still online. Thanks again, Ayumi!"

"No problem." She watched the eager girl at the computer for a moment, then exited the room, closing the door behind her with a soft _click_.

':-:'

Inside, Kagome impatiently waited for her email screen to open.

You have one letter from** _DOGBOY88_**. Do you wish to:

Open or Delete?

Kagome clicked the 'Open' button and read Inuyasha's letter.

_Dear Kagome. _

_I sent you a message, but you didn't answer, and my computer says that you're online. So I'm going out on a limb here and assuming two things: 1. You're ignoring me. 2. You're mad at me. If it's one of these two, I was just wondering if you were mad with me (or ignoring me, either one) because I asked for your name. If you are, I'm really sorry. I was just curious, I promise. But if you want, I won't bother you any more. Later. (If you're not angry)_

_Inuyasha._

Kagome groaned, then she sent him an instant reply.

_Dear Inuyasha._

_I didn't get the message. I'm so sorry. I'm not mad at you, I swear. My friend was on the computer doing a paper, and I don't know what happened. If you're online, I'd be glad to talk to you. Please?_

_Kagome._

She held her breath as she waited for a response. Silently hoping with all her might, she crossed her fingers, toes, legs, eyes, arms, and anything else she could think of. Second after second passed, and with each fleeing moment, she felt her good mood wilt. Then suddenly. . .

**DogBoy88:** Kagome?

She let out a relieved sigh as she typed her answer.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Yeah. I'm here. I'm so glad you didn't get offline yet.

**DogBoy88:** You're not upset that I asked your name?

**SchoolGirl2720:** No.

**DogBoy88**: It's just the way you reacted and all, like you didn't want to. . .

**SchoolGirl2720**: Oh you know all the stuff about 'don't give your name to strangers' and stuff. I think they meant your whole name. I only gave you my first.

**DogBoy88:** And your last initial. The 'H'.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Oh no! One letter is going to automatically tell you everything about me. I'd better watch out. . .

**DogBoy88:** Funny. Real funny. Since when have you been the sarcastic type?

**SchoolGirl2720: **I don't know.

**DogBoy88:** I can see you in my mind now. You're shrugging.

**SchoolGirl2720: **So?

**DogBoy88:** Remind me not to play 'mind-reader' with you any more.

**SchoolGirl2720: **...I'm sorry.

**DogBoy88:** What's wrong?

**SchoolGirl2720:** Nothing.

**DogBoy88**: Right.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Now who's being sarcastic?

**DogBoy88:** _I_ had every right to be. You didn't. Now what's wrong?

**SchoolGirl2720:** It's a long story. . .

**DogBoy88:** And that's my cue to say 'Oh, well then, you don't have to tell me.' Am I right?

**SchoolGirl2720: **Sorta. . .

**DogBoy88: **I'm not going for it. I've got time. Tell Inuyasha what's wrong.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Referring to yourself in the third person. You're so cocky.

**DogBoy88: **I know. And stop trying to change the subject. Tell me what's wrong. I'm listening. Or watching. Reading. Whatever.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome went on to tell Inuyasha about how awful her day had been, starting at the very beginning. He didn't interrupt, which she considered quite nice of him.

**SchoolGirl2720: **. . .so I get to my seat, and I'm sitting there hoping that she'll choose something interesting to take my mind off of the horrible day I've been having, and you know what she talks about? Amoeba. AMOEBA! To be perfectly clear, I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE STUPID AMOEBA. So I'm sitting there, staring out the window and daydreaming (I bet I was even drooling on my desk but no one told me,) and I start to feel better. Then, like a minute before class gets out, she assigns us a THREE PAGE PAPER on this stupid microscopic THING that no one cares about! But my friend came over (like I said) to work on hers, and she saw that I was feeling pretty bad, so she typed a paper for me. That's the highlight of my day. My really awful day.

**DogBoy88:** ...

**DogBoy88:** Do you feel better now?

Kagome started to type the word 'no' but realized that she was feeling better, as if just talking to this. . . this. . . Inuyasha guy on the internet made her feel as if things weren't so bad. Who knew? Maybe they weren't.

**SchoolGirl2720**: Yes.

**DogBoy88:** Good. I hate days like that. It feels like the world keeps speeding up and slowing down just to spite you, and no matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to keep the pace.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Yeah. But everyone else can. And it makes you look idiotic.

**DogBoy88:** Yeah.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Hmm. I like the way you explained that. It was very. . . poetic almost. But I said it a little differently.

**DogBoy88:** How?

Kagome, with a small smile, related to Inuyasha what she told Ayumi a few hours earlier.

**SchoolGirl2720:** . . .psycho clown. Am I stupid or what?

**DogBoy88:** Nah. I don't think you're stupid. I think you're pretty much a normal girl who's just had a really bad day... but may have an irrational fear of clowns.

She laughed, something she thought she couldn't do at the time.

**SchoolGirl2720**: Never have liked those things

**DogBoy88:** I've gotta agree with you there.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Good to know that _someone_ agrees with me.

**DogBoy88:** Don't worry. You're not alone.

Something about that last message made her smile, but she didn't know why. It may not have even been the message. Maybe, just maybe, she had developed a facial spasm. But whatever it was that made her grin, she couldn't stop. (Maybe it _was_ a spasm. . .) Kagome was experementally working the muscles of her face when another message from Inuyasha popped up.

**DogBoy88: **What were you daydreaming about?

**SchoolGirl2720:** Sorry, what?

**DogBoy88: **You said you were daydreaming in class. What were you dreaming about?

Before she could help it, a blush crept across her cheeks, turning them a light pink. She typed the first thing that came to mind.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Oh, you know, the standard stuff. Beaches, being rescued, meadows, forests. Just stuff.

**DogBoy88**: By who?

**SchoolGirl2720: **What?

**DogBoy88:** B-y w-h-o?

**SchoolGirl2720: **What do you mean?

**DogBoy88: **Well someone had to do the rescuing, didn't they? Who was it?

**SchoolGirl2720: **Uh. . .

Kagome started to panic. She very well couldn't tell him that she daydreamed about him. But what could she do? Kagome was at a loss.

**DogBoy88:** If it wasn't me, I'll be really offended.

'_How in the world am I supposed to respond to that?_' She wondered silently, still not replying.

**DogBoy88: **It _was_ me, wasn't it Kagome? You were daydreaming about me.

**SchoolGirl2720: **No I wasn't.

**DogBoy88:** Call it a hunch, but I think you're lying to me.

**SchoolGirl2720**: No I'm not.

**DogBoy88: **Okay. Whatever. So. . . What are you going to do now that you have no homework?

Kagome was wary of his quick acceptance of her obvious lies, but took the bait anyway.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Try to catch up on my sleep, I guess. But I'll make sure my alarm clock works first.

**DogBoy88: **Smart girl. Double-check your alarm before you use it. Not to mention other things. . . like elevators.

**SchoolGirl2720:** Paranoid much?

**DogBoy88:** You say that like it's a bad thing. If we weren't all a little bit paranoid, we'd never live to see past the age of ten.

**SchoolGirl2720: **True. Paradox, but true. . .

**DogBoy88**: But you were daydreaming about me, right?

**SchoolGirl2720: **&$#&

**DogBoy88:** Is that a yes?

**SchoolGirl2720:** AAAAUUURRRRGGGHHHHH!

**DogBoy88**: Kagome?

**_SchoolGirl2720'_s server has been disconnected.**

':-:'

Inuyasha laughed softly, his lips curled into a devious grin. He had been totally guessing about the daydreaming thing, but it turned out to be true to some extent. '_So she thinks about me. That's a good thing,'_ he mused, lightly drumming his fingers on the computer table before standing and leaving the room. He tried to smooth his face as he walked down the empty halls of the house but gave up. As he entered the room where the others were waiting, he was still smiling.

His older brother, Sesshomaru, sat in a large, yet stylish, armchair, his posture sending off wave after wave of his obvious impatience. Like Inuyasha, Sesshomaru had amber eyes. Inuyasha's were arrogant and intimidating, seemingly emotionless until you got to know him. But even if you knew Sesshomaru for years, his eyes not only seemed arrogant and intimidating, but also harbored a coldness that the younger man's didn't have. They also shared long, flowing silver hair, nearly down to their knees, but that too was different. Both had soft hair, but it was not the same sort of softness. So alike and yet so different, and not just their looks. Their personalities followed the same pattern. Inuyasha could be cold, unfeeling, and indifferent, but he was also capable, (although it rarely seemed like it) of being passionate and caring. Sometimes. But Sesshomaru was almost _always _unfeeling and arrogant. The only change in him seemed to be going from a cold indifference to an even colder anger. Very much the same, but at the same time undeniably different.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you?" asked Sesshomaru, not even bothering to look at his younger brother.

"Uh, I guess about. . ." Inuyasha checked his watch, "an hour and a half, give or take."

"You were supposed to check your email."

"I did."

"For an hour and a half?"

"Something came up."

"Judging by that look on your face, it's more like some_one _came up. Some one in peticular," said Miroko, innocently looking down at his hands. His nose had just begun to heal. He certainly didn't need it to be. . . redecorated again, but he just couldn't resist having one crack at the younger amber eyed man.

"I was having a conversation with a friend, and it lasted longer than I expected," stated Inuyasha, sending a glare in Miroku's direction. "It's not like we're going to be late anyway. We've still got over half an hour to get there."

"We should not keep Naraku waiting, brother. You know that. It would benefit us to be there early, so I suggest we leave now." Sesshomaru's tone had a hidden meaning, one that only Inuyasha seemed to understand. Any further protests he swallowed, nodding slowly. The two brothers, along wih Miroku and Sango left the house. Inuyaha wasn't smiling any more. As a matter of fact, there was a sick feeling in his stomach telling him that something bad was going to happen. He ignored it, but little did he know that his body was trying to warn him about something very bad indeed.

(AN: Sorry about this chapter. It's late and I'm really tired, so if anything is terribly, horribly wrong with it, I apologize. Review, please. Oh, and I'm not posting chapter four until I get three reviews for chapter three. SO REVIEW! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)


	4. A Conflict of Interests

(AN: I'm glad you guys liked the third chapter. I was up so late trying to finish it! Ah. But now it's on to chapter four. Hope you guys like it. Oh, and just a heads up about the story. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru aren't demons or half-demons. I wish I could do it that way, but I can't. I'll miss the ears, though. I don't know how I'd fit the whole demon thing in there on top of all of the other stuff they'll be going through. If I did have it, this story would be about one hundred chapters long, and I'm not up for that just yet. Oh yeah. One more thing. There will be a few changes in the relationships between the characters you'll see what I mean later on. That's all I'm gona say for now! You can't make me say more! Enjoy!)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inuyasha. But he _is_ locked up in my attic. Shh. It's a secret.

**Chapter Four: A Conflict of Interests**

Kagome lay back, resting against her pillows. "So Yuka, what are you going to do for the break?" she asked softly in the dark of the room. It was only about nine o'clock, but she wanted to catch up on her rest.

"I don't know. I'm going home, so I guess I'll lounge around by the pool. What about you?"

"I guess I'll go home too," replied Kagome, her voice devoid of any enthusiasm.

"You don't sound too happy about it," said Yuka, rolling over to look at her friend. Kagome just shrugged. "Come on! You can't tell me that you aren't happy that you've got a three month vacation! Three months to just lounge around and do nothing?" Kagome shrugged again. Yuka sighed. "You're hopeless."

"Goodnight Yuka," she said with a laugh, rolling over to face the wall.

"Goodnight Kagome."

But Kagome didn't go straight to sleep. She couldn't. Minutes later, the sound of Yuka's deep, even breaths reached her ears. She sighed. "Home." As hard as she tried, she couldn't get any positive feelings about the word. It was bad enough that she had to go home for any length of time, but three months? Usually, school got out in early May, but the school was in dire need of some repairs, so the girls were getting out a month early. The next day would be her last in school for three whole months. It was too long. _'There's no way I'm going to survive it. I'll go out of my mind,'_ Kagome thought, turning to lay on her back.

She continued to think for several minutes, but was interrupted. '_I could have sworn that I heard something.' _ There was a sound coming from Yuka's bed. '_There it is again. Is she saying something?' _The mutters got louder until Kagome could make out actual words.

". . .no please. It's going to get me! Please open the door! Help me!" Yuka murmured in her sleep. Her pleas grew softer before becoming incoherent, then stopping all together.

Before she could help it, a wave of envy came over her. _'She's got it so good,' _thought Kagome bitterly, '_They all do. The monsters they dream about aren't real._' Giving an unhappy sigh, she turned on her side again, facing the wall, and fell sleep.

':--:'

The ride to meet Naraku went silently, as if someone had stolen the voices of those in the car. They were all focused on the task ahead of them, leaving no time to speak. Naraku had called them. He wanted their help with something. Nothing involving him could ever be good. He was going to assign them a new target. They were sure of it. After all, Naraku never made social calls, and the day he did would be the day that snowflakes danced in Hell.

It didn't take too long to get to the restaurant. It was a different classy place every time they met with him. Naraku never met at his home or at the same place twice. He was careful, that was for sure. And not a novice's precaution, either. This kind of carefulness came with years of practice. He was no one to be taken lightly.

Sesshomaru parked relatively close to the building and everyone got out of the dark blue car. They walked inside without speaking.

"Good evening sir. Welcome to The Plateau. A table for four?" the hostess asked cheerily.

"No thank you. We're here for a business meeting," said Sesshomaru smoothly.

The hostess nodded. "Right this way." She led them through the main floor. Everything was decorated in earthy brown tones. The tablecloths were a light tan color with antique looking lanterns flickering in their centers. The carpet was a slightly darker, dusty, brown color. The ceiling was painted like clouds, with hidden lights to make the sky different colors. Since it was dark outside, the ceiling looked like a night sky, complete with stars. The walls were a medium brown, like coffee with a bit too much milk

The woman brought them to a set of wooden double doors. She knocked, opening them only after a deep, male voice bade her to enter. Stepping aside to allow Sesshomaru and the others inside, the hostess left with a last parting "Let me know if you need anything."

"Sesshomaru. You're early," said Naraku. He was sitting at a beautiful mahogany table, wearing a dark, expensive looking business suit. Naraku was a tall, slender man with hair as long as Inuyasha's or Sesshomaru's, but jet black. He always seemed to look impeccable, as if he had just leapt off of the runway. His eyes were as cold as Sesshomaru's but always seemed to be mocking the person he was looking at, even when he was angry.

"Better early than late," retorted Sesshomaru expressionlessly.

"Too true. I see that you've brought everyone."

"I see that you didn't."

"I have no need for them tonight. And besides, I trust you to some degree. I'd only bring the whole crew if I didn't."

"That seems reasonable."

"It is. Unless, however, there is a reason that I shouldn't trust you. . .?"

"Any such reason would be news to me, Naraku."

The dark-haired main nodded approvingly as the young woman next to him started towards the younger brother.

"Inuyasha," she said, smiling brightly and latching onto his arm like a leech.

"Kikyo," Inuyasha replied shortly.

"Long time no see."

He merely gave a neutral sound in the back of his throat, trying to discreetly edge away from her without making it seem like he was repulsed by her. Embarrassing a woman in front of her boyfriend was stupid. Embarrassing Kikyo in front of Naraku was a mistake of disastrous proportions.

"Oh come now, Inuyasha. Don't be like that."

_'Damn,' _ he thought bitterly. She said it loud enough for the entire room to hear, and, out of the corner of his eye, he could see his ex's new boyfriend eyeing him. Sesshomaru was giving him nonverbal warnings, a mere narrowing of his eyes, and Sango and Miroku were watching him as well. They could not afford to be on Naraku's bad side. Not now, after how far they'd come and how hard they'd worked to be in his good graces. Not over something so trivial. He stopped trying to escape. "Yeah. It has been a while, hasn't it?"

A look of pure triumph came to her eyes. She enjoyed the fact that he had to play nice when he clearly wanted to be as far from her as possible. "Too long. Just because we're not together anymore doesn't mean that we can't be friendly."

It took remarkable self control to keep his unpleasant thoughts from showing in his face, but he somehow managed."I'll remember that."

"Wonderful." She leaned a bit closer, smiling once again, causing his 'personal space' alarm to go berserk."It's nice to see you again. You look good."

"And you look beautiful as always Kikyo. I'm glad to see you too." Surely if there was some sort of higher power out there, they'd send a lightning bolt his way for such lies.

She was positively beaming by now. "Thanks." She then stood on her toes, and whispered, "I know you've missed me." He didn't reply, but concentrated on something else instead, such as willing himself not to go up to the second floor and throw himself out of the nearest window. Or throw _her _out the window. That one had a few possibilities. "I've missed you," she continued, oblivious to his plotting of her tragic death. Her voice was barely a murmur and he could feel her breath in hot gusts against his ear.

He continued to internally struggle with his temper. "That's kind of you." Kikyo? Kind? He wanted to laugh, but thought better of it.

"We should be getting down to business," interrupted Naraku smoothly. Kikyo's attentions to Inuyasha obviously irked him. Kikyo kissed Inuyasha on the cheek. "Kikyo." It was a warning. His voice was sharp, but low. She pouted slightly before giving Inuyasha a quick smile and wink, then went back to her place next to Naraku. He ignored her. "Please, have a seat," he said, his earlier tone untraceable. He spoke to Sesshomaru and the others, but not to the three men standing at the room's exits. It didn't make them anxious. They were used to henchmen and what they did. These were no different from countless others. Besides, if things went downhill, Inuyasha was quite sure that he could take care of at least one of them.

Naraku was all business now. "I need you to retrieve something for me."

"Is that all?" asked Sesshomaru warily.

"Not exactly, but we'll get to that later. What I need for you to get is a tape."

"A tape," repeated Inuyasha, curious.

"Yes. A tape. You see, the tape was made almost ten years ago by an American."

"A tourist, or. . ." Sesshomaru started, leaning slightly forward in his chair.

"No. He wasn't a tourist. He'd actually lived here for a few years. He happened to have a camera, shooting a cheap commercial or something, when he was walking down the alley behind the abandoned building close to the theater. And I just happened to be. . . taking care of something as he walked by. . ." Naraku sighed, shaking his head. "I wasn't very careful back then. Well, long story short, he got it on tape. I tried to chase him down, but he got away. I caught up with him about a week later, and tried to get the tape, but he didn't have it." '_Three guesses what happened to that guy.'_ thought Inuyasha grimly. "I found someone in his building that overheard the American asking a friend to keep the tape,"

"Another American?" asked Sango attentively.

"No. Japanese. So I found this 'friend' and tried to talk him into giving up the tape, but it didn't work. We looked for it as we left, but found nothing. We left the house just before the wife got there. It turns out that he has a daughter who he told where the tape is."

"You're sure that she knows the location of the tape?" questioned Sesshomaru.

Naraku nodded. "Quite sure. So that's what I need you to do. 'Persuade' her to give up the tape."

"So basically what you're saying is that you want us to kidnap the girl, torture her until she gives us the tape, and bring it back to you." Inuyasha stated slowly.

"And kill her."

"Kill her?" asked Sesshomaru, his voice as puzzled as it could get. Naraku didn't order people dead just for the fun of it. Not that he didn't enjoy it. They suspected that he did find some sort of perverse pleasure in it, but ordering people dead unnecessarily made too many connections to you. And everyone knew that the fewer paths leading the police to you, the better. This girl must have done something. Something that Naraku wasn't going to tell them.

"Yes. Kill her." He seemed to sense the reluctance in them, for he added, "I will give you three million to get the tape and kill her. Three million."

"Is there any certain way you want this done?"

"No. I could care less, as long as you finish it. Hell, I don't care what you do. Have your fun with her first if you want, as long as she ends up dead. Got it?"

"Yes, but one thing," started Sesshomaru, his entire being as blank as ever. "What does she have to do with. . . the alternative lifestyle, if anything?"

"I knew this was coming," sighed Naraku, putting his elbows on the table. "To be honest, absolutely nothing besides the fact that she has the tape."

"You know our policy, Naraku," said Inuyasha as he shifted in his chair. "We don't do bystanders."

"I know. And it's probably best you don't. The cops really don't care if the occasional criminal shows up dead. They don't take the time to investigate. That's why you're never caught. But think about it. Three million."

"Naraku. . ." started Miroku, who had been silent until now.

"Four million. That'll be a million even for each of you."

The group exchanged glances. He must really want the girl dead. A million? _Each?_ He must _need _the girl dead. "Can you excuse us? We need to discuss it for a moment."

"Go right ahead." Naraku, Kikyo, and the body guards didn't move as the four made their way outside.

They all stood there, pondering for a long moment before Miroku broke the silence.

"Four million dollars."

"Four million dollars," repeated Sango in awe.

"A million each," muttered Inuyasha, shaking his head. "What could be so important about a girl that he's willing to throw away four million dollars?"

"She has the tape," suggested MIroku,

"But he specifically told us to kill her. If all he wanted was the tape, he wouldn't have. It's something else," replied Sesshomaru quietly.

"So what could it be?" asked Inuyasha, causing everyone to once again lapse into silence to think.

"I don't know," Sesshomaru said at last, "but I do know that we need to decide if we're taking the job."

"We don't do bystanders," reminded Sango, her voice barely audible over the usual nighttime noises. "That was the only rule."

"Everyone here knows that, but the question is, do we break our only rule. . ." started Miroku.

"For four million dollars," Inuyasha finished for him.

Sango nodded slowly, musing. "That's the one thing that separates us from everyone else. As bad as we are, we've got pretty high standards, and they don't. Should we lower them for a million a piece? And become just like them?"

Another deafening quiet settled upon them.

"No," replied Sesshomaru quietly. "We said we wouldn't fool with the civilians, and I don't intend to go back on my word."

"So we're going inside to tell Naraku no?" asked Sango, eyeing the three men in turn. They all nodded.

"So it's agreed," said Sesshomaru, leading the way to the entrance.

"Damn these morals straight to Hell," murmured Miroku, then looked up at the sky. "I could do so much with a million dollars."

"If anything's headed to Hell it's going to be us, not our morals," called the older brother over his shoulder.

They all nodded in agreement, then Sesshomaru opened the door into the conference room.

Naraku waited until they were seated to ask for their response.

"I apologize Naraku, but we can't go back on our word," said Sesshomaru, looking the man in the eye.

"I understand. You've got to have something of worth, right? A man is worth nothing if his word is worth nothing." The four stood and began to leave. "Enjoy the rest of your evening."

They were about two yards from the door when MIroku turned around. "Just out of curiosity," he started slowly, "who was it?"

"Why? You aren't taking the job."

"I just wanted to know who could be this much trouble," Miroku said with a shrug. They started towards the door again.

"Her name?" asked Naraku, starting to pour himself and Kikyo some wine.

"Yes."

"Kagome Higurashi."

(AN: Oh come on. I know you saw it coming. You had to see it coming. If you didn't, well. . . SURPRISE! Review, please. Three reviews or no update. Just like last time. That doesn't mean that a few more of you couldn't review. . .PLEASE! I need to see if people are okay where this could go. I've got a few ideas, but could use a lot more. Please? If everyone hates it, I'll try to fix it to where we're all happy. . . somehow. So REVIEW!)


	5. Decisions

AN: Hey guys! Guess what? I'm writing you all another chapter! Isn't that amazing? Even though I was pelted with tomatoes by people who shall remain nameless (cough cough) you know who you are. I'm so sorry that it took so long to update. I went on vacation with a group from school and didn't get back until Thursday. (Five days of roller coasters. BRILLIANT!) But anyway, I'm really sorry. I tried to post before I left, but the chapter just wasn't coming out right. Sorry once again. Back to my cheerful note: To Kim (that's what you said your name was, right?) It's not that I don't like biology. It's just that my teacher is evil and demonic and she makes that class hell for everyone. Also, Kagome isn't taking remedial science. I know that most schools teach about amoeba early on, but they often review over and over. (Like the water cycle. Evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. We all know it, but they teach it like every year.) Well, that's just about all I'm going to address at the moment. Well. . . Happy reading!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. (Sigh) Oh well. If you love 'em, let 'em go.

**Chapter Five: Decisions**

Miroku nodded. "Huh. I think I've heard that name before."

"Probably. The mom's an attorney that's always in demand," replied Naraku without looking in their direction.

"That's going to be hard to keep under wraps," observed Sesshomaru, his back to the door.

"That's why I came to you first. You're the best, but since you won't do it. . ." he shrugged. "There's always someone else who'll do it for cheaper."

Sesshomaru nodded, making a neutral sound, then exited the room, the other three following behind.

They walked through the restaurant with unreadable expressions, remaining silent even after they were on the road. Inuyasha peered out of the window, his mind a disorderly jumble of thoughts. _'That couldn't be her. I'm sure there are lots of Kagome Higurashi's running around here. It wasn't her. It just_ couldn't _be. It's not the same person.'_ But the sick feeling in his stomach had returned, and its opinion was entirely different. A shadow of doubt surfaced in his mind. _'But it is her,'_ it whispered maliciously. _'It can't be. . .' _He thought, but that tiny pessimistic part of his mind told him that it was, and he soon began to believe it.

Lost in his own conflicting thoughts, he didn't see Sango and Miroku sending looks in his direction the entire time. They kept their peace during the ride, but when they reached their destination and got out of the car, they couldn't wait any longer.

"Inuyasha. . ." Sango started hesitantly, glancing at Miroku, who nodded his approval.

"Shut up," he snapped, closing the car door a bit harder than necessary and heading towards the house.

"But Inuyasha, don't you think it's odd. . ." tried Miroku in his best 'reasonable' voice.

"No. I don't." He jammed his key in the lock, opened the door, and walked inside.

"But. . ."

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

"So you honestly don't think it's her?" blurted Sango.

He froze where he stood, and for a moment his opposed musings showed on his face. The young man turned slowly to face his two friends. "No. I don't." But his voice held an uncertain quality.

"Are you willing to bet her life on it?" asked Miroku, his tone calm.

Inuyasha balled his hands into fists. "Her life isn't my responsibility. "

There was silence for a moment, then the other boy replied. "Believe that if you like, but if it is her and she turns up dead, her blood's on your hands."

That did nothing to help the amber eyed young man's temper. "Why?"

"Because you can prevent it," said Sango, crossing her arms.

"And standing by and letting it happen would be just as bad as doing it yourself," added Miroku.

Inuyasha's jaw clenched and he left the room without a word.

Sango watched him leave, then looked at Miroku. "That went well."

He made a frustrated noise. "It's her. I know it."

"Me too, but he doesn't believe it," said Sango.

"He doesn't want to believe it," Miroku muttered.

"I can't believe he's just going to let her die."

"It's not our choice to make."

"Choice?" Sesshomaru was standing in the door frame, arms crossed and watching them closely.

The two teens looked at one another, unease settling into the pits of their stomachs.

"It's nothing Sesshomaru," said Sango nervously as she and Miroku tried to edge out of the room.

"Stop." That one word command froze them in their tracks. The older brother crossed the room with a silent, deadly grace that spoke volumes. After a moment, he stood in front of them. His golden eyes seem to glint with a cold light. It was The Look. "What isn't your choice?"

"Nothing," started Miroku, but Sesshomaru cut him off.

"I'll ask again. _What isn't your choice?_"

Sango gulped and replied. "Whether or not . . . um. . ." She faltered under his piercing gaze.

"Whether. . . uh. . ." attempted Miroku, also failing.

The silver-haired man arched a brow. He was becoming impatient. "Well?"

The girl licked her lips nervously. "Whether or not we. . ."

"SavetheHigurashigirl," said Miroku quickly, then waited for a response.

"What?" His voice dropped an octave to a menacing growl. He rarely let his voice betray his emotions, so the sudden shift in tone meant one thing: he was really quite angry.

"We don't have a choice as to whether or not we save the Higurashi girl," stated Sango in a surprisingly steady voice.

"Why are you even considering saving her?"

"Because, well. . . " started Miroku slowly. He, with Sango's assistance, told Sesshomaru about Inuyasha's conversations with the girl known as Kagome H.

"And you think that this Kagome H is the target," said the older brother. The two teens nodded. "Does Inuyasha?"

"Um. . ." They hesitated, looking at one another for answers that neither had.

"Does he or doesn't he?"

"Well. . . we don't know. I think he does, but he won't admit it," replied Sango, glancing at the door through which the younger brother left.

Sesshomaru didn't reply. Then, after a few moments, he left the room.

:-:

Inuyasha stood on the balcony silently, once again lost in his thoughts. Half of his mind was chanting '_It's not her. It's not her. It's not her.', _whereas the other half was insisting '_Yes it is. Yes it is. Yes it is.'_ He almost didn't notice when Sesshomaru joined him outside.

His older brother approached him very much like the way a predator stalks its prey, which made the younger man wary.

"What the hell do you want?" he snapped, already annoyed at his brother's presence.

Sesshomaru didn't speak for a long while, taking time to leisurely straighten his clothes. "Is it her?"

"What?" _I'm gona kill Miroku and Sango. _"Mind your own damn business."

"Is it?"

"What the fuck does it matter?"

"What are you going to do if it is?"

"Why the hell do you care?"

The older brother remained quiet for a moment, then replied. "Do you think she has the tape? Just a yes or no will do."

Inuyasha paused. He wanted to say no, but he couldn't. Too much of his mind thought that it was her. "Yeah."

The older brother was silent yet again, his face seeming as blank as ever. "I'm going to let you help her."

"What?"

"I'm going to let you help her. That is what you want to do, correct?"

Inuyasha nodded. "But what do you get out of it?"

"That's nothing to be concerned with yet. Just be glad that you can save her."

"No. You wouldn't let me do this unless it benefits you. Why are you letting me help her?"

"She has the tape."

"That's all you want? The tape?"

"We've been waiting for a chance like this for years."

"But. . ."

"Don't you want to finally get Naraku?"

"Yeah, but if he finds out, it'll be our asses."

"And if he doesn't? The girl will still be alive, and we'll have the tape. If we plan this right and execute it cautiously, we won't have to worry about Naraku any longer."

Inuyasha nodded. "Okay. Where do we start?"

"The easiest way to go about this would be to kidnap her first and explain later."

"Fine. But how do we find her?"

"We ask."

"Ask?"

Sesshomaru turned away and started inside without another word. The younger man saw no alternative but to follow.

Upon entering the house again, Inuyasha found his brother on the phone.

"Yes. The telephone number for Higurashi Law firm, please?" he asked into the mouthpiece.

Sango looked up curiously."What's going on?" she asked, looking from one sibling to the other. Inuyasha motioned for her to be quiet.

"Hello. Is Ms. Higurashi available? Yes, I'll hold." After a few moments, Sesshomaru spoke again. "Ms. Higurashi? Hello. I'm Mr. Sakitari with the Tokyo College Review Board. I understand that you're quite busy. . . you aren't? Alright. I was calling about your daughter Kagome. You see, her scores on the placement test are quite high. I was wondering if there was a current contact number that way I could see if she's interested in our new program for high school students. . . Well, I was hoping to reach her before the weekend. . . The Shikon Academy for Girls? And the number is. . . alright. Thank you very much, Ms. Higurashi. We'll keep in touch." Sesshomaru placed the phone back on the receiver.

"I can't believe she just told you where she was," said Inuyasha, shaking his head. "So now what?"

"Now you make sure that it's her."

"How?"

"Ask her what her parents do. If she says that her mother's a lawyer, you will know that it's her."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"She's going to be asleep. When I talked to her earlier, she said that she was going to bed early."

"Fine. Ask her first thing tomorrow. But not later. The mother said that the academy lets out tomorrow, then she's going home. Our best bet would be to get her while she's still at school."

"Wait," interrupted Miroku. Everyone turned around to look at him. "Get her? What do you mean, get her? You're going to help her?" Inuyasha nodded. "How?"

"Kidnaping her."

"_Kidnaping her?_" cried Sango. "You're going to kidnap her? Why?"

"Seems fairly obvious, don't you think?" asked Sesshomaru, crossing his arms.

"What are we supposed to do?" the younger sibling added. "Go up to her on the street and say 'Hello. Your life is in danger. Please come with me so that I can save you?' No. We're going to kidnap her first then explain. After that, if she wants us to let her go, we let her leave."

"And if she takes you up on your offer?" asked Miroku.

"She stays with us until things. . . work out," replied Sesshomaru nonchalantly.

No one knew how to respond, so they all remained quiet. Suddenly Inuyasha stood and started towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"To the computer. It'll let me know when she gets online."

:-:

Kagome awoke the next morning feeling quite refreshed. She stretched, then looked over at her alarm clock. '_Hmm. Seven o'clock._'She still had a few hours before she had to be to school. They wouldn't be doing anything first period, so the teacher told them that they didn't have to show up. '_Oh well. I guess I'll surf the internet until I have to get dressed._' She logged on and was soon greeted with an instant message.

**DogBoy88: **Did you sleep well?

She smiled without realizing it and typed a reply.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Yes, thank you. Did you?

**DogBoy88: **Eh. I've slept better. So what are you up to? No school today?

**SchoolGirl2720: **Not this morning. I have to go in for ten o'clock.

**DogBoy88: **So what are you going to do for three whole hours?

**SchoolGirl2720: **I'm not sure.

**DogBoy88: **You could talk to me.

Without warning, Kagome started to blush.

**SchoolGirl2720: **I guess I could, since I don't have class.

**DogBoy88: **Is that a polite way of saying that you have nothing better to do?

**SchoolGirl2720: **Ha. Not really. You just caught me right when I woke up, so I really don't know if I have anything better to do or not.

**DogBoy88: **Thanks?

**SchoolGirl2720: **Ha. Don't mention it. What do you want to talk about?

**DogBoy88: **Uh. . . I don't know. How 'bout we talk about you? I mean, since there's nothing else to talk about.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Wow. That's polite.

**DogBoy88: **Isn't it?

**SchoolGirl2720:** Arrogant. Such a shame. So anyway, what about me?

**DogBoy88: **Conceited. Tsk tsk tsk. Well. . . do you have any siblings?

**SchoolGirl2720: **Yeah. I have a little brother. He's twelve. How 'bout you?

**DogBoy88: **I have a brother too, but he's older. Twenty-three going on seventy five.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Is he that bad?

**DogBoy88: **He acts like he's got an ice sickle stuck up his. . . well. . . somewhere unpleasant.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Stop it. He can't be that awful. I used to say stuff like that about my brother. He's annoying at times and really hyper, but other than that, he's a pretty okay kid. Besides, he's calmed down a lot as he's gotten older.

**DogBoy88: **Really? That's good for you. My brother has always been this way. The ice sickles keep getting bigger and bigger. . .

**SchoolGirl2720: **Stop! That's not funny. You don't hate him, do you?

**DogBoy88: **At times. But he's okay when he wants to be. So. What about your parents? What do they do?

Kagome paused, unsure what to type. After a long internal debate, she decided to tell the truth.

**SchoolGirl2720: **My mom's an attorney. Dad. . . Dad died when I was six. But he used to be a doctor.

**DogBoy88: **I'm really sorry.

**SchoolGirl2720: **It's okay. It's not like it's your fault or anything.

**DogBoy88: **You said he was a doctor?

**SchoolGirl2720: **Yeah. A general practitioner. He used to bring me home suckers that he gave to the kids that got shots.

**DogBoy88: **Lucky. What else?

**SchoolGirl2720: **Well, this one time, I went through his bag and found some pretty princess stickers. Or I thought they were stickers. They were actually band-aids.

**DogBoy88: **Oh no. . .

**SchoolGirl2720: **Yes. I was covered with them. I thought I was so cool and pretty. . . until it was time to take them off.

**DogBoy88: **Ouch.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Tell me about it. What about your parents?

**DogBoy88: **Dad owned a chain of antique stores. Mom was an artist. They died in a car crash when I was about four.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Oh. Now it's my turn to say that I'm sorry.

**DogBoy88: **And it's my turn to say that it's okay and it's notyour fault.

**SchoolGirl2720: **You aren't lying to me, are you?

**DogBoy88: **No, I swear. Why would I lie to you about that?

**SchoolGirl2720: **I don't know. I'm paranoid, I guess. Sometimes, people will say things like that to make you feel better. Or just for some sick joke.

**DogBoy88: **Assholes.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Tell me about it. . . again. Okay. Enough of that. I told you a story. Now it's your turn.

**DogBoy88: **Do I have to?

**SchoolGirl2720: **Yes.

**DogBoy88: **Fine. I really don't remember this, but my brother told me about it once. He said that I was, like, two, and Mom was working on a painting. She invited the buyers to see it before it was done so that they could change anything about it that they didn't like or whatever. For some unknown reason, I decided to stip down to nothing and go say hello to Mom's guests. So I come running out, naked as the day I was born, and I tripped over a broom or something and landed on mom's wet painting.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Oh my. . . You're _kidding_!

**DogBoy88: **Nope. I started to cry and Mom picked me up, telling me that it was okay, but she was laughing so hard that she was crying too. So were the clients.

**SchoolGirl2720: **What about the picture?

**DogBoy88: **It turns out that they still liked it, so they bought it anyway, complete with naked smudge marks and all. They even asked Mom to put my name on it with hers when she signed it.

**SchoolGirl2720: **I can't believe it. Must. . . stop. . . laughing. . .

**DogBoy88: **Yeah. Have fun with it. Go ahead and have a chuckle at my emotional expense.

**SchoolGirl2720: **You wouldn't have told me if you didn't want me to laugh. So shut up and let me roll around on the floor for a bit.

**DogBoy88: **Go right ahead. Laugh while I die a little inside.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Stop it! I can't breathe!

**DogBoy88: **Alright, alright. Breathe, woman. In and out. Wouldn't want you passing out on me. Even thought you just laughed at me. On second thought, laugh! Enjoy yourself. Faint in front of the computer!

**SchoolGirl2720:** Shut up!Oh wow.I haven't laughed so hard in a while. My stomach hurts(Wipes away tears.)

**DogBoy88: **Glad I could be of assistance. Now that you're supplying your brain cells with oxygen and you've started off your morning with a laugh, I want you to go take a nice relaxing bath and enjoy the rest of your morning off. Are we clear?

**SchoolGirl2720: **. . .You aren't going to mysteriously pop up and try to drown me or anything, are you?

**DogBoy88: **Not unless you want me to. I'll talk to you tomorrow, because I can't get on again tonight.

**SchoolGirl2720: **Actually, they're having a party to celebrate school getting out, so I won't be online either.

**DogBoy88: **Nice. Well, have fun, Kagome.

**SchoolGirl2720: **You too, Inuyasha. Bye.

**DogBoy88: **Bye.

Kagome took Inuyasha's advice and went and ran herself a bath. '_Today's going to be a good day. I can just feel it._' she thought, surrounded by vanilla-cinnamon scented bubbles.

:-:

Inuyasha stood and stepped away from the computer. Sesshomaru disapproved of his staying on so long to talk to her, but he couldn't just ask her about her parents and leave her. It'd be suspicious, as well as rude. And he didn't want to be rude. His older brother also disapproved of telling the girl about their parents as well as that slightly embarrassing story, but he did anyway. He wanted her to laugh. Sesshomaru and the others watching him talk to her was annoying, but it couldn't make him treat her badly. "So it is her," he stated, stretching. "Now what?"

Sesshomaru stood and walked to the phone to make arrangements. "Are the three of you up for a party?"

AN: Whew. That was a hard one. I was seriously having writer's block before I left, but things seemed to come easier once I got back.. I'm out of school (Yay) so whenever I get however many reviews I ask for, (4, just in case you forgot.) I'll update. But until next time, REVIEW! Once again, constructive criticism, questions, and comments are welcome. If you don't like the way the story goes, let me know and I'll see what I can do without completely compromising the outline I have in mind. Oh. And evilinupunk, thanks for the advice. To everyone who reviewed, I love you and thanks so much.


	6. Just Like Her

**Chapter Six: Just Like Her**

Kagome sat at her desk, humming and drumming her fingers on her notebook. The day had been a total and complete waste. They didn't do anything at all. '_I could have just stayed in my room and stared at the ceiling. That would have even been more interesting.'_ All they did was sit quietly in their desks, watching the teachers grade papers. She had brought a book with her, to keep her occupied. She had finished it. Twice. In less than two class periods. Kagome gave an annoyed sigh and looked up at the clock. It was just about time to leave. She promised that she'd help Yuka set up for the party in the multipurpose room of their building. It sounded as if it would be fun. But then again, gouging her internal organs out with an eating utensil sounded more fun than just sitting there. '_Hmm,_' she thought. '_Maybe, if I ask politely, the cafeteria ladies will give me a spoon. Then I can sharpen it, aim very carefully, and. . ._' She couldn't hide a smile. '_Wow. I really, _really_ need something to do._'

Fifteen minutes later, the bell rang. She shot out of her desk and into the hallway. '_I'm free! I'm FREE!_' She did a little victory dance out into the courtyard. She was so glad to be out of class. '_But I have to go home tomorrow._' She frowned unhappily at a nearby squirrel without realizing it.

"What happened?" asked a chipper voice behind her. "Did it steal your peanut butter cups?"

"Huh? Oh." Kagome rolled her eyes and turned around to find Ayumi standing behind her, hands planted on hips.

"What's wrong?" The cheerful young lady put an arm around her shoulders. "We're out of school! Finally! For _three whole months_!"

'_Don't remind me,_' Kagome thought, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes again. Instead, she smiled. "I know. Isn't it great? Three whole months without homework!"

"Or essays."

"Or cafeteria food," added someone off to their left. Eri was coming toward them, grinning. "You're right. It is great."

"Hey guys!" Yuka jogged up to them, also smiling. "Ready to go?" They all agreed and headed toward their building. '_I'm not going to think about it now. I don't have to leave yet. Besides, there's a party to get ready for,'_ Kagome put her unpleasant thoughts away in mental filing cabinet labeled 'OPEN AND YOU **DIE**!', determined to have a good day.

About twenty minutes later, she was up to her eyeballs in decorations. Literally. "Help!" she cried, but it was muffled by balloons and streamers. "Yuka? Eri? Ayumi? HELP ME!" she yelled again, struggling.

"Whoops. Sorry Kagome. Forgot about you there for a second," said Ayumi, helping her friend with the overflowing bags. "Better?" Kagome glared at her. "I'm sorry. I was going to help, but then Yuka needed me to move the couch. . . I'm sorry. Forgive me?"

The disgruntled girl grumbled a reply. She had gone to pick up the balloons, for which they had placed an order for earlier in the week. Without thinking, she had gone alone, forgetting just how many decorations they ordered. She'd somehow made it back on campus, but the bag holding the streamers broke as she neared their building. She gave an annoyed sigh. "That's the last time I do you guys a favor."

"Good. You're finally back with the balloons," said Eri as she sauntered over, munching on a potato chip. "What took you so long?"

Kagome's eye twitched. "What took me so long? _What took me so long? _I was standing here fighting for my life and being suffocated by inanimate objects and you ask me what took so long?" Twitch. Twitch. Twitch.

"I'm just kidding. Here. Have some chips." Eri handed her the bag with a smile.

"Thanks." She took a few. "So what are we going to do with these things?" she asked, plopping down on the couch.

"I think we should put them in the corners," offered Yuka, untangling the balloons.

"Just the balloons?" asked Ayumi, sitting on a nearby pillow.

"I'm not sure yet," the girl admitted, then looked at Kagome. "What do you think?"

"Well, we could put the streamers in the corners with some of the balloons. Then we could have the rest just floating around."

"That could work. . ." started Eri slowly, gnawing on her bottom lip.

"I particularly don't care. Just as long as they don't attack me again," Kagome stated. Her friends laughed. "Come on. Let's get started."

A few hours later, the room was finished.

"Finally," sighed Ayumi, collapsing into a chair. "That took longer than I thought."

"I know," Kagome muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm tired and the party hasn't even started yet."

"We've still gotta go to the store and get the food," reminded Yuka, checking her to-do list.

"Kagome and I'll go," volunteered Eri.

"What?" cried Kagome, staring at the girl as if her hair had turned into a bunch of multi talented singing snakes.

"You two stay here and do the last touches. We'll go to the store and get the food. Okay?" insisted her friend, smiling cheerily.

"I guess," agreed Yuka reluctantly. Any time Eri volunteered to run errands was a time to be cautious. "Here's the money and the list. Pick up whatever else you think we'll need."

The two girls exited the multipurpose room.

"What'd you do that for, Eri? I don't want to go shopping!" Kagome whined, being dragged along.

"I know you didn't. But I didn't want to go alone," replied Eri, the grip on her best friend's arm never loosening.

"Since when have you been afraid to go to the supermarket alone? You go all the time!"

"But not since he started working there."

"Oh great," muttered Kagome, rolling her eyes.

"Come on. Please? I don't want to talk to him alone. And you're the only one that'll come with me and not dog me about it afterwards. Please?"

"Alright. But only because I don't trust you to get the shopping done alone."

"Thank you!" Eri hugged her so tightly that she was surprised that her eyes didn't pop out.

"Okay. Let me go. Can't breathe," gasped Kagome, whose ribs were starting to ache.

"Oh. Sorry. Come on. Lets go."

They soon arrived at the store and began navigating the isles.

"So. Who is he?" asked Kagome, pushing the buggy in front of her.

Eri took a few bags of chips off of the shelf. "He's not from here. I met him at the movies last weekend. We talked for a bit in the snack line."

"What's he like?"

"Um, well, he's really sophisticated. He likes poetry, and books, and art."

"Are you sure he likes women?"

"Of course he does. He told me that he came to the movies with his friends to cheer himself up after his long distance girlfriend back home broke up with him."

"Maybe she knew something that you don't."

"Kagome!"

"Just kidding. What else?"

"He's really smart. Witty. A little bit sarcastic, but I like that about him. He's also into writing stuff too."

"And you found this out waiting it the popcorn line at the movies?"

Eri had the grace to look embarrassed. "Well, it was a long line. And they kept having problems with the nacho machine. . ." Kagome gave her a skeptical look. "Fine. We talked in line, but we didn't go back to the movie."

"You didn't. . ."

"No! We stayed in the lobby and talked."

"And that's all?"

"Yes. I swear it."

"Hmm. Judging from what you've told me, he doesn't seem like the type to work in a grocery store."

"You know how I told you he likes poetry and all that stuff?"

"Yeah?"

"Well he's working here to help his parents send him off to an arts camp in Europe."

"Sounds cool."

"Doesn't it?"

"What kind of dip? Onion or salsa?"

From there, the conversation lagged a bit.

"So," started Eri, searching for something to talk about. "How have things been going with that guy off of the internet?"

"What?" Kagome nearly dropped the twelve pack of soft drinks that she was putting into the basket.

"That guy. You know, the one you've been talking to for a few weeks?"

"Oh, that guy. What about him?"

"Well, have you been talking to him much lately?"

"Uh, well, not really."

"When's the last time you chatted with him?"

"Um. . ." Kagome bit her lip. "This morning," she murmured under her breath.

"What? Did you say this morning?" asked Eri, stopping in her tracks.

"Well, yeah," replied Kagome with an uncomfortable shrug.

"What'd you talk about?" inquired her friend, eyes shining with curiosity.

The girl shrugged again. "Well, nothing, really. He asked if I slept well. . ."

"Why?"

"I told him that I was going to sleep early."

"When?"

"Last night."

"You talked to him last night too?"

"What is this, twenty questions?"

"More like fifty. So he asked you if you slept well. Then what?"

"Well, I told him that I slept fine, then I asked how he slept. . ."

"And?"

"And he said that he didn't sleep that well. Then we started to talk about ourselves. . ."

"Like what?"

"Like about our families. He asked if I had any siblings, and I told him about Souta. . . "

"Well, what about him?"

"He has an older brother. Twenty something. He says he's really mature acting, though. A real worry wart." She smiled at the memory of how Inuyasha put it.

"Then what'd you talk about?"

"Well, we talked about. . . about our parents."

"Oh." Eri's eagerness lessened a bit. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him a truth. That Mom's a lawyer and Dad died but he was a doctor. Then I told him stupid baby story."

"Aw. That's cute. And?"

"And then we started to talk about his parents. His mom was an artist and his dad owned a chain of antique stores or something. But they died in a car crash when he was little."

"Really?" Kagome nodded. "Oh that's. . ." She started to say 'awful' but refrained, remembering how her friend hated people feeling sorry for her. Sure, they weren't talking about her now, but just to be safe. . . " What'd he say then?"

She smiled. "He told me the cutest baby story. . ." She started laughing just at the thought. "I mean it was so funny. I was almost crying at the computer. Then, he told me to relax, enjoy my morning off and that he'd talk to me tomorrow."

"That proves it. You're sharing baby stories? You two are meant for each other."

"Shut up." Kagome rolled her eyes, but had to combat the heat rushing to her cheeks. "I think we're just about done here. What do you say?"

Eri nodded, checking the buggy. "Everything's here, I guess. Lets go check out." They walked to the check-out counters. Kagome started to go toward counter number four. "No. Not this one. That one." The girl discreetly pointed in the direction of counter number seven.

"Is that him?" asked Kagome, trying to see the person working the cash register.

Eri nodded. "Yeah. That's him alright." She took a deep breath and walked toward the register.

"Did you find everything alright today?" the young man asked, punching few keys.

"Yes, thank you," replied Eri politely. Kagome could tell that she was nervous. Her friend otherwise never played with her hair in that particular fashion. She would tuck it behind her ear, twirl the end around her finger for a bit, then toss it behind her shoulder, before starting on the other side. She'd go back and forth, from one side to the other, until someone either strapped her hands to her sides or broke the ice.

Luckily, the boy seemed to recognize her voice and looked up. "Eri," he said happily and smiled. He had a nice smile, which Kagome noted, along with the fact that he had wavy black hair down to his shoulders and fascinatingly green eyes and a dimple in one cheek. '_There's no way he's from here,_' she thought. What're you up to?"

"Oh, just shopping for some snacks for a party," said Kagome nonchalantly, hoping that Eri would take the hint.

She did. "Yeah. It's at our school. You want to come?"

"Sure. What time does it start?"

"Eight."

"Oh. I don't get off until eight-thirty," the boy answered, seeming quite disappointed, which was a good sign. She noticed that the name on his tag was Kurt.

"Well, Kurt," started Kagome with a smile. She was determined to get him to come. Especially when her friend had that fragile, hopeful look in her eyes. "That's great. You can make an entrance. No one worth while shows up to a party on time anyway."

"Yeah. We wouldn't be on time if we weren't throwing the thing," added Eri with a slight grin.

"You'd be worth while even if you weren't," Kurt said with a smile that showed of that dimple. Eri smiled back, with the beginnings of a blush tinting her cheeks pink.

Kagome looked from one teen to the other with a satisfied grin. '_Oh yeah,_' she thought, '_It's love._' "Oh crap. I forgot the cookies. I'll be right back." She quickly walked away, giving them some time alone as she made her way through the isles once again. It was quite convenient that the cookies were at the very back of the store. She very deliberately chose what kind to bring back. '_Hmm. Double chocolate chunk or classic chocolate chip?_' After finally deciding which kind (Double chocolate chunk) she very slowly made her way back to the check-out counter. By the time she got there, both Kurt and Eri were wearing very pleased smiles. Actually, she looked about ready to jump out of her skin in excitement.

"Oh. Kagome. You're back. Did you find. . . what you were looking for?" asked Eri, not exactly remembering what her friend left to go find.

"Yeah. Here they are," the girl replied, putting the cookies on the conveyer belt. All three of the teens thought it best not to point out that they already had chocolate cookies.

"There you go. All done," said Kurt after a moment, giving the girls back their change. Eri nodded, her smile still mind-numbingly exuberant.

"Thanks Kurt. See ya 'round," said Kagome as she took the buggy and wheeled it toward the exit.

Kurt waved. "Bye Kagome," he called, smiling, before turning back to Eri.

Kagome barely heard what happened next. "Tonight?" he asked the girl, looking her straight in the eye with a sincerity that would have made anyone turn pink. She nodded, not taking her gaze from his. What followed made Kagome beam and give an internal victory dance. Kurt leaded forward, over the counter, and gave Eri a gentle kiss on the cheek, a mere brush of lips against skin that seemed to last hours and yet no time at all. She saw him murmur something to which the girl replied before he pulled away. Eri then turned away and started towards Kagome, wearing a grin so elated that it made her look as if she were glowing. But they calmly walked through the parking lot, not letting anyone who just might be looking through the store windows see their excitement. As they turned the corner leading away from the store, Kagome could see him still watching their retreating forms. As soon as they were certain that they were out of sight, the girls squealed.

"Did you see that?" exclaimed Eri, not bothering to contain her excitement any longer. She started jumping up and down. "Did you?"

"Of course I did!"

"I can't believe it. I can't believe it! He just-"

"I know!"

Before she knew what was happening, Kagome felt Eri hug her tightly. "Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you thank you _thank you_!" The young woman cried, hugging (strangling) her friend once again. But this time, Kagome didn't mind. She could tell that Eri really liked the guy. That's why she didn't turn around once she found out why Eri volunteered the two of them to do the shopping. Eri could go after any guy she was even remotely attracted to, unless she actually, sincerely, really liked him. Only then did she become tongue-tied and nervous, like any other girl. Only then did she need back up. She was glad that her friend found the guts to go talk to him. The fact that Kurt shared her interest was almost unbearably thrilling. It was finally time for Eri to get a guy that she really liked instead of just a boy toy.

Kagome hugged her back. "You're welcome. But I didn't do anything."

"Yes you did, Kagome! I couldn't have done it without you!"

"If Ayumi or Yuka were here, things would have turned out just the same."

"No it wouldn't! You knew what to say so that I didn't make myself look like an idiot! Thank you so much!" Eri gave her one last squeeze before releasing her and dancing down the sidewalk. Kagome rolled her eyes and laughed, cheerfully rolling the buggy behind her delighted friend. '_I knew something good would come from today,_' she thought, still smiling even though she had the strangest feeling that someone was watching her.

:-:

Inuyasha sat in the tree, watching the empty sidewalk below him. "Are you sure they're in there?"

"Yeah. The girl said that they went to the store to pick up some food for the party. They should have just arrived a few minutes ago. Be patient," replied Miroku, who was watching the store exit with Sango. Sesshomaru sat in a car in the parking lot. The moments passed slower than molasses on an winter morning in Antarctica. He gave an annoyed sigh and looked at his watch again. They'd been gone for fifteen minutes. '_How long does it take to buy some stupid groceries?_' he wondered, agitated. This would be the first time he saw her. The first time that he ever laid eyes on the girl that he had been conversing with for weeks. He wasn't sure what to imagine that she looked like. '_A lot of the time, the way that a person looks doesn't match their personality anyway. Besides, why should I guess now and probably end up way off target when she's only in the store? She'll be out eventually. Then I can see her with my own two eyes._' But no matter how reasonable his thoughts seemed, his mind disobeyed him and began to puzzle a few things out about her. '_Well, she laughs a lot, or at least she seems to. So she should have a quick smile. And she blushes a lot too. So she's probably a little shy. She has a good sense of humor, so I bet she has friendly eyes. . ._' He continued on that train of thought. '_When I first started talking to her, she said that she played an instrument. Most people who play instruments have long fingers, so I guess she might too. . ._' He kept trying to puzzle out her appearance, passing the time in his thoughts. When he looked at his watch again, twenty more minutes had passed. He called Miroku.

"Any sign of them yet?" he asked the boy on the other end.

"Not yet. I'm surprised that you waited so long to call, Inuyasha." Murmurs could be heard in the background. Miroku said something, then laughter could be heard also.

"What was that?" asked the youth in the tree.

"Oh. Sango wanted to know if you were finallylearning to be patient."

"And?"

"And I told her that pigeons would learn to rumba first."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. He could hear the other young man laughing even as he hung up. '_What could be taking them so long?_' he wondered yet again. Minute after minute passed, inching by yet again. He tried to resume his thoughts, but, going only by their conversations, he had already drawn all the conclusions he could. So, with nothing else to do, he settled on counting various things. '_One leaf. Two leaves. Three leaves. . ._' he continued, getting all the way to three hundred and forty-eight leaves before he grew tired of the color green. So he looked around for something else to occupy his time. He decided to observe the cars stopping at the stop sign yards ahead. '_Okay. Grey van. Driven by a woman. Dark hair, dark eyes, and purple fingernails. I'd say about thirty-six, no more than forty. Blue sports car. Driven by another woman. Dark hair. Light eyes. Silver rings, two on each hand, and red fingernail polish. White SUV. Driven by a man. Early twenties. Wait. Is that pink fingernail polish?_' The young man spent another long while like that, watching the cars go by and noting the people inside them. It was pretty amusing, actually. He wasn't sure how much time had passed before his cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"I see her." It was Sesshomaru.

"You do?" He tried to keep the eagerness from his voice.

"Yes. Jeans and a orange short-sleeved shirt. Red writing on front. Long dark hair. She's with another girl. Short dark hair. Shorts. Green shirt. "

Inuyasha winced at the word green. "Got it."

"Tell the others." Vaguely wondering why his older brother called him first instead of Miroku and Sango, he started to hang up. "Inuyasha?" He paused at the sound of his name.

"Yeah?"

There was a momentary silence on the other line, before the younger man heard the other speak. "You may want to prepare yourself." Then the dial tone.

He puzzled out that meant as he called Miroku. He didn't even bother with a greeting. "Two girls. One with shorts and green shirt. Short hair. Kagome's got long dark hair. She's wearing jeans and an orange shirt. Red writing on front."

"Got it. I think I see her," responded Miroku. There was a pause. "Yeah. Orange shirt. Jeans. Long dark hair. Her back's turned. Hmm. Nice figure though. . . Ouch! Uh, here they come. They've got a buggy." In the background, Inuyasha could hear a the distant _swoosh_ of automatic doors opening. "Okay. She's turning around. But the hair's in the way. They're coming straight at you. Okay. She's turning the corner. . ." There was a long silence.

"What happened?" asked Inuyasha anxiously.

"Uh. . . nothing. They're around the corner now. Do you hear them?"

The young man in the tree listened for a moment, then heard an excited squeal. "Did you see that?" one of them asked the other. He listened closer and heard the sound of the buggy, quiet beneath the two female voices.

"Yeah," he murmured, not wanting to be caught. "Later." He began to hang up the phone.

"Uh, Inuyasha," Miroku started hesitantly.

"What?" he hissed. They had stopped. One was thanking the other. Another lengthy silence. "**_What?_**"

"Uh, nothing. You'll just have to see for yourself. But don't say I didn't try to warn you." The sound of the dial tone filled his ear. He resisted the urge to swear soundly and hung up the phone.

"Yes you did, Kagome! I couldn't have done it without you!" That voice sounded higher pitched, but only slightly, than the other. '_So the other one's her,_' he thought, then listened closely to the reply.

"If Ayumi or Yuka were here, things would have turned out just the same." Her voice, just as excited as the first, held humility. It was smooth and sweet, light and cheerful.

"No it wouldn't! You knew what to say so that I didn't make myself look like an idiot! Thank you so much!" He disregarded this response. They were moving again. He could hear a skipping that was coming closer, accompanied by the sound of the buggy. Then laughter. Kagome was laughing. It was something he'd prompted more times than he could count, yet it was his first time hearing it. She had a great laugh. It was sweet and light, like her voice. He wasn't sure what else he could have expected. The skipping was getting louder, as was the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears. Inuyasha swallowed. He wasn't sure what he was so afraid of. '_I'm scared that she's going to be hideous, then I'll have to spend weeks at the very least with her in my house!_' he thought, but that wasn't the only thing that made his heart jump into his throat. He could see one of them clearly now. It was the friend. She was dancing along the sidewalk happily, twirling to some music that was inaudible to all but her. Now the squeaking of the buggy was getting closer. He put his binoculars up to his eyes and waited for her to come into his line of view. There was the buggy. He could see it now. A few seconds later he saw her. And his insides went cold.

He blinked, trying to put what he was seeing off on being tired or simply hallucinating. But when he put the binoculars up to his eyes again, he saw the exact same thing. It wasn't that she was ugly. Oh no. Far from it. As a matter of fact, she was beautiful. But that wasn't what gave him the feeling of a anvil being dropped in his stomach. She looked just like her.

She looked just like the woman who had stolen his heart once. Just like the first and only woman he had ever felt any emotion for whatsoever, besides the one that birthed him. Just like the woman who ripped out his soul and tread on it wearing stilettos and a frosty smirk. She looked just like. . .

'_Kikyo._'

AN: Well. That was fun. Well, it wasn't at first. It was a pain in the $$! At first. But things got easier and a lot more fun to write after a while. Well. Did you like it? Yes? No? Maybe? So? Okay. It's late once again, and I'm terribly sorry for any spelling, punctuation, and/or grammar errors in this or any chapter. Review, as always, and let me know what you think. (Don't forget to vote for chapter length!)

P.S. I'm so sorry. I know I said the chapter would be up in a day, but we had thunderstorms and the lights went out like four times. Then, when I finally tried to upload, wouldn't let me log in, for like two days. Sorry once again.


	7. Kidnapped

AN: Hey guys. Me once again. I have redone this chapter. I loaded the other version, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was not happy with it in the least. It just didn't seem right. So I'm redoing it, and I hope you like it. Starting. . . eventually, we get to see a bit more of Kagome's bitter, not-so-happy side, as well as finding out what made her that way.. Well. . . have at it.

Disclaimer: Don't own him. Leave me alone with my misery.

Chapter Seven: Kidnaped

Kagome sat in her bed, thinking. The party was over, having been declared a hit early on. The guests had enjoyed themselves, and the hostesses also. She glanced around her. Everything was packed for her to leave the following day. She looked at her luggage with discontent. She really didn't want to go back home. She sighed, alone in the room. Yuka and Eri were going out with their respective men to a late movie. They'd asked her to come along, but she declined, not wanting to feel like the fifth wheel. Ayumi had left right after the party. She and her parents were staying at a family friend's home nearby. Kagome remembered the last thing Ayumi told her.

"Bye! Have a good summer!"

Whereas she had smiled earlier, the girl gave an uncharacteristically bitter smile. '_Have a good summer?_' she though with a cynical chuckle. '_There? With them? Fat chance._'

Suddenly she sat up straight in the bed. Had she heard something? She strained her ears, but all that greeted them was silence. With a roll of her eyes at her paranoia, she settled back among her pillows once again and tried to fall asleep.

:-:

Inuyasha scowled. They had been in the dorm's utility closet for what felt like hours. After the party ended, they watched as one by one, Kagome's roommates left her there alone. '_This is almost too easy,_' he thought, then checked his watch again. Five minutes after one in the morning. Two of the friends went to the movies, which was expected to end around three. Since they were with guys, he gave them an extra hour. Four o'clock. A slight motion caught his eye. Sesshomaru was checking to see if anyone would catch them coming out of the closet and sneaking upstairs. After what seemed like forever, the older sibling opened the utility room door and beckoned them to follow. They traveled up the stairs to a hallway with three bedrooms. Inuyasha looked at his brother. "Which one?" he whispered cautiously. Sesshomaru remained quiet for a moment, then pointed to the one in the middle. '_How'd he know?_' the youth wondered, but after a few moments he could hear restless movements coming from the room in question. After motioning for them to move to either side of the door, the silver-haired man silently opened the door, but remained hidden.

More restless movements could be heard. "Hello?" was called softly in the darkness. Inuyasha internally winced. "Hello?" she said again, slightly louder that time. "Is anyone there?" There was a rustle of fabric, then the sound of bare feet on the wood floor. "Hello?" She opened the door wider and stepped outside. Before she could register what she saw, Inuyasha came up behind her and pressed a liquid-soaked cloth to her mouth and nose. She was struggling frantically, making muffled sounds as she cried for help. But no one heard. The girl's body soon went limp in his arms.

He held the cloth in place a bit longer before pocketing it and picked the slumbering form carefully. She would already have a headache when she woke. There was no reason to toss her about and make matters worse. "Ready?"

Sesshomaru led them to the back entrance to the dorm that they had found when scouting the place out during the party. It couldn't be seen from the school or the security guard's building. So as not to arouse suspicion, Miroku waited in the car around front. Sesshomaru placed a brief call to the boy's cell phone. Moments later, they heard the car outside. With quick discretion, they piled into the vehicle, but took off leisurely.

The car was silent. Inuyasha used the time to set the girl in the seat beside him, eager to have her away from him. Sango, who also occupied the back seat, saw the movement and rolled her eyes. Inuyasha glared at her, but didn't speak. He also used the time to think. There was no way he could deny that Kagome looked almost exactly like Kikyo. She had the same slim figure, the same facial structure. The hair was different, though. Kagome's was a bit shorter. The girl's skin wasn't as pale as his ex's either, and had a fine sprinkling of freckles across the nose, something that Kikyo didn't have. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. His former girlfriend's lips were also a bit thinner. '_Kikyo,_' he thought with a barely audible, tortured sigh. He thought back to the meeting with Naraku. She had been so. . . odd. It was almost ironic how unlike herself she was acting. '_And that's what it was too. An act._' She had so many that it was hard for him to keep track. There was a different one for every powerful man that she attached herself to. The Ditz. The Bombshell. The Brains. The Shy One. The Innocent One. The Slut. The Friendly One. The Haughty One. He'd seen them all. He bet that he was the only one who saw her for the relatively stoic woman she really was. The only reason he had picked up on her little acts at all was because he had noticed her bouncing from one guy to the next, acting completely different with each.

It was at a party in her Slut faze that he had finally confronted her about it. They were at a soiree that an acquaintance was hosting. One was held every year on the last Friday in July. Inuyasha had gotten tired of watching the people gaily smile and dance and chatter like idiots, so he had excused himself to one of the balconies on the third floor, overlooking the garden below. There were trees tall enough to shade the area pleasantly along with an elegant iron bench, and a fountain. Inuyasha could remember that moment as if it had only occurred hours before. He could recall himself leaning over the railing and gazing at the night sky. He had finally managed to escape the indoor activities and found himself blissfully alone. For the moment at least. Roughly ten minutes later, he could hear footfalls behind him. He turned to find none other than Kikyo approaching the railing. She copied his earlier pose of leaning on the rail, her chin propped up on one hand, and stared into the dark with a soft sigh. '_What the hell does she want?_' he thought, annoyed.

"What? Tired of your dates already?"

She didn't respond, but instead sighed once again.

"Oh. I see. What personality are we today? Shy?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Maybe it's the Innocent one."

"Must you be so rude?"

"Oh. It's the Uppity side coming out tonight. Should have figured."

"Will you please stop pestering me?"

He snorted. "Why should I? You came out here with me, remember? If you want me to 'stop pestering you', you could always leave and take all of your personalities with you." He watched her decide to stop denying it. He had found her out.

"What's this? Has Sesshomaru's little brother finally sprouted a brain?"

His eyes narrowed marginally. He hated when people called him that. 'Sesshomaru's little brother'. It was demeaning. He had developed a reputation as force to be reckoned with so that he wouldn't have to be known as Sesshomaru's kid brother. He had every intention of biting her head of when he realized that she was baiting him. He'd hit a nerve, so she was trying to do the same. He smirked. "Nice try."

"So you have wised up a bit."

"I'd like to think so."

She gave a small chuckle. "Maybe you have. People change."

"And you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" He watched as the snobby look faded away.

There was a long pause before she spoke. "Yes. I suppose you're right."

"And now we're humble."

"Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Like I said, I was here first. If you want to be left alone, I suggest you go to another balcony."

She looked at him for a moment, then nodded and started to leave. "You think I actually enjoy it." She said softly, as she passed him.

"What?"

"I really don't." She stopped in the doorway leading back inside, but didn't face him.

"Quit talking in riddles. Don't what?"

"Like doing this."

He was silent for a moment before responding. "Well that's stupid. Why do something if you hate it so much?"

She turned and looked at him. "You should be one to talk. We both know that we do what we have to do, not what we want to do." And with a last, brief stare, she left and rejoined the party once again.

He watched her leave and for the first time, comprehended what she was. The two of them weren't all that different. She went from man to man for the same reason that he and the others killed: because they had to. Neither wanted to, but it was necessary.

When Inuyasha's parents had died, he and Sesshomaru were young and alone. They surely wouldn't have made it, but an assassin took them in and taught them everything they knew. He didn't like killing and, on some level, he was sure that Sesshomaru didn't either. But they did, because that was all they knew. And now he found out that Kikyo was in the same boat, so to speak.

In that moment with those few sentences, Kikyo had aroused his curiosity. Then from curiosity came understanding and respect. That respect in turn merged into admiration, affection, then love. Yes. He did love her. And even thought they had broken it off months earlier, it still hurt like hell to think about it. They saw one another for what they really were, not just a killer and a man-juggling harlot. There were no masks. No acts. They had been in love, true, honest to goodness love, but in the end they still hurt one another in the worst way. Seeing her up to her old tricks once again hurt too. Breaking it off was painful enough. Seeing her with Naraku as well as playing one of her parts once again was like being pinched after you were trampled by horses. It was still pain, but it soon melded with his other, more devastating hurts.

And now this. His slowly but surely healing wounds felt as if they were bleeding anew. But he couldn't let his emotions get in the way of what he had to do. It was all an act, almost like hers. He gave a bitter laugh. '_Wonder if she feels the same. We bared all and now we're both back to playing our parts._' It was quite strange and painful for him to realize that he was being a hypocrite. '_Here I am getting upset with her when I'm doing the exact same thing._' The youth shook his head and gazed out at the quicky passing landscape.

Sango looked at her friend and immediately noted the deeply rooted anguish in his features. She saw Miroku looking their way through the rearview mirror. He caught her eye and arched his brow hopefully. '_Maybe he isn't taking this too badly,_' the teen thought as he drove skillfully through the nearly empty streets. Sango gave a small sigh and shook her head. He wasn't taking things very well at all. A few moments later, Inuyasha chuckled, a sound that was so embittered, so hurt-filled that Sango couldn't hold back a shudder. Silence soon enveloped the car once again.

Sesshomaru sat in the passenger seat quietly, absorbing all that was happening. He could see his younger brother's reflection in the window. His sorrowful expression made the older of the two think, though it was a rare day that Sesshomaru took his sibling's feelings into account. '_I should have realized that his would be too much for him._'

After a few more minutes of driving, Miroku spoke. "We're here."

Inuyasha resurfaced from his thoughts and saw that they were pulling into the hotel parking lot. The Chateau wasn't necessarily the best hotel that money could buy, but it was very classy nonetheless. The older sibling got out and headed into the hotel to get the room key whereas the others stayed and got the girl out of the car.

"I can carry her," offered Miroku quietly.

The youth just shook his head and picked up the girl, then started walking. His friends exchanged concerned glances and followed. They entered the lobby to find Sesshomaru waiting for them by the elevators. He pressed the UP button and the doors to one opened immediately. They stepped inside without a word. The doors closed once again. The amber eyed young man found himself avoiding all the mirrors. Regardless of the fact that Kagome wasn't Kikyo, she still looked like her. The vision he'd see in the looking glasses would kill him. Miroku cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Really Inuyasha. I could have carried her."

"She's not heavy. I can carry her myself." His voice was monotone, his face blank.

_Ding._ The doors opened on the fifth floor. Sesshomaru walked into the hallway and to the left, towards a set of double doors, above which was a sign. In scrawling, elegant letters, 'Alabaster Suite' was written. He unlocked the doors and walked inside.

True to its name, the Alabaster Suite was decorated in every imaginable shade and hue of white. The room they entered seemed to be an anteroom, with several closed doors here and there along the pale, creamy walls. There were two couches in the anteroom along with two chairs, a tv set, a stereo system, a mini bar, and a small coffee table. The couches faced one another, the coffee table in between two. On one side of each couch were the armchairs. The television set was on the opposite side of the room with the stereo, mini bar in the right corner farthest away from the door.

Sesshomaru opened a door leading to a bedroom. It had a relatively large bed and dresser, along with yet another television set and chair. "Put her in there," he ordered., gesturing towards the bed. Inuyasha was more than happy to oblige. He set her down and backed away from the bed quickly.

"Perhaps you should have let him carry her."

"What?" Inuyasha turned to face his brother.

"You know that I dislike repeating myself, brother, but in light of recent events I will humor you. Perhaps you should have let him carry her."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. You should have let Miroku carry the girl." Inuyasha was silent. Sesshomaru surveyed him expressionlessly. "Since you cannot stand the sight of her, that is."

"Fuck off."

"That is precisely what I mean. If you are going act this way when she wakes, I will be forced to make you leave the room." Sesshomaru knew exactly what he was doing. His little brother always was so easy to manipulate. He knew that Inuyasha would see it as if he was being treated like a child, something he hated.

"You won't 'be forced' to make me do anything," the boy replied through clenched teeth.

His brother regarded him seriously. "We can't afford any slip ups, Inuyasha."

"I know."

"Our lives are at stake here."

"I _know_." He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I know."

"Are you going to do this?"

Inuyasha nodded, swallowing. Sesshomaru was right. He could not let his emotions get in the way of this one. Not when there was so much on the line. Besides, what could he do? Yell at the girl for looking like someone she didn't even know? Not that she could help how she looked. It was genetics, predetermined. There was nothing he could do but try to go with the flow. "We're just going to wait for her to wake up?"

"We're going to have to. We cannot wake her too soon. She would be ill. And even if we do let her sleep, there's a chance that she'll feel sick anyway."Sesshomaru sat in a chair, pressing the tips of his fingers together in a thoughtful manner. Inuyasha sighed and found a seat as well. So did Miroku and Sango.

They waited for nearly an hour.

"How long does the stuff take to wear off?" asked Inuyasha impatiently.

"She'll wake eventually," his brother replied evenly.

"Eventually? When is event–" started the younger of the two, but Sesshomaru held up a hand to silence him.

"I think she's waking." He started towards the bedroom door, followed by the others.

:-:

Kagome woke with a grumble. She felt as if her head was imploding. With great difficulty she opened her eyes and started. '_This isn't my room!_' She looked around frantically, coming to the conclusion that she was in a hotel of some sort. '_What am I doing in a hotel? How'd I get here?_' she thought, then it all came back to her. The door opening. Checking to see who it was. Seeing a small group of people in the hallway outside her door and the dizzy feeling that overwhelmed her as someone pressed a towel to her face. She had been kidnaped. '_Don't panic, Kagome. Just don't panic. If you can just get out of here, you'll be fine._' But it felt as if a cold fist was squeezing her chest when she heard voices in the next room.

". . . wear off?"

"She'll wake eventually."

The voices sounded male. One sounded irritated, and the other sounded calm and cool.

"Eventually? When is event–"

There was a pause before the calm voice replied. "I think she's waking."

A chill ran through her. '_They'll be here any minute!'_ She got up and found the room started to spin as soon as she was on her feet. But she didn't let that deter her. She was terrified and desperate. She stumbled to the chair near the door and hid behind it. Seconds later, the door opened and four people entered.

"What the. . . ?" It was the irritated voice.

"Find her. We can't let her get to the lobby." The calm voice passed her. "The windows haven't been tampered with. Check the closet."

There was the sound of a door opening. "She's not in there." It was a girl's voice.

"So she's in here somewhere." The calm voice now sounded a bit amused. The remaining person moved away from the door to search under the bed. This was her chance. The girl scrambled out from behind the chair and ran out the door. She found herself in the anteroom. She hastily chose a door and found herself in the bathroom. Inwardly she groaned. She had to get out of there. Kagome crossed to the frosted glass window above the bathtub. She opened it and looked out. '_Dammit!_' she thought desperately, seeing that she was too far off the ground to risk it.

"Check the hall." The calm voice commanded. He was the boss, she realized.

"Not out there. And she wouldn't have had time to get to the elevators just yet."

"So she's still here. Check the rooms."

Her insides went cold. "I'll check this one." It was another male voice, neither the irritated one or the calm one. This voice sounded business like and urgent. And the voice was also quite close to her door. She looked around frantically and found the hotel blow drier. '_No way in Hell I'm going without a fight._' She silently picked it up and waited for the knob to turn. It did, almost in slow motion. As soon as the door was open enough, the girl stormed the young man behind it. Using every ounce of strength she could, Kagome slammed the hair drier into his skull. She heard him make a sound of pain and he staggered, holding his head. The girl wasted no time bolting towards the door with the lock on it. That was the door to the hallway. And if by any chance it wasn't, well, she was screwed. The girl ran as fast as she could. She was nearly there. She could just about reach the doorknob. '_Almost!_' Kagome didn't even see the man before it was too late. When she did, she could tell by his lack of expression that it was the calm voice. In what felt like no time at all, he had an iron grip around her. "No!" she wailed, kicking and clawing in frantic attempts to escape, but his hold on her was unbreakable. "Let me go! No!"

"Come hold her down" Was his curt order. The other three, including the one she hit, immediately obeyed. The four of them held down her arms and legs as she struggled. She felt as if she almost got away a time or two, but they soon had her limbs under control. The calm one stood, leaving the other three to wrestle with her. A few moments later, he came back into the room with a bottle and a towel. "No!" she screeched again, violently kicking and bucking against her restrainers. He tipped the bottle over, wetting the towel with its contents, then knelt beside her head. Did she see. . . amusement flicker briefly in his eyes? It was soon gone, though, as he covered her mouth and nose with the damp cloth. She tried not to breath in the narcotic, but her attempts were futile as the room began to grow hazy, then dark.

:-:

As was protocol, Sesshomaru held the cloth in place for a few moments even after the girl's body had gone limp. He then stood and put the top back on the bottle.

"Well. That was fun," said Inuyasha sarcastically.

"Yes. Who knew she was so lively?" asked Sesshomaru setting both bottle and towel on the coffee table.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and slowly got to his feet, then helped his injured friend up. "You alright, Miroku?"

"Yeah," said the teen with a groan. He shook his head to try to clear it.

"She probably gave you a mild concussion," said Sango with a slight laugh.

"I bet. Did you see how she. . .?" Miroku was rubbing his head.

"Yeah. Then took off like a bat outta Hell after she did." Inuyasha shook his head. "That's weird."

"What's weird about it?" asked Sango, examining the sizable lump forming on the hurt boy's head.

"I didn't think. . . never mind." He shook his head once again, then looked down at the girl. "She almost got away."

"Yes. And she won't this time." Sesshomaru picked the girl up and headed back to the bedroom.

"What are you doing?" Sango followed him, as did the two boys. The older sibling laid the girl on the bed, then took off his tie and fastened the girl's left wrist to the bedpost.

"If she even thinks about trying that again, we will hear her trying to get loose."

"You talk about her like she's a wild animal or something," commented Miroku, not liking the idea of tying the girl up.

"You shouldn't be complaining. She nearly bashed your head in," muttered Inuyasha as he cracked his knuckles. On some level, deep inside, having the girl tied up bothered him, but he ignored it.

"I don't mind this." The blue-eyed teen gestured to his head. "She was just trying to get out. It's understandable."

"Whatever." The younger brother rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "Don't you think it's weird that she could even manage? I mean that stuff's pretty potent." He was looking at the bottle.

"She must have been very determined," commented Miroku with a shrug.

"Yes, well she won't be able to do that again. She probably won't be able to stand, let alone run." Sesshomaru sounded as if he didn't care in the least, which he didn't. "It would be best if we didn't have to do it again. That would be pushing our luck. Too much could put her in a coma."

"Yeah. Next time lets hit her with a hair drier instead," offered Inuyasha, seeing Sango roll her eyes. He walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?" asked his brother.

"For a walk."

"Be back before she wakes."

He merely nodded and left the room and the Alabaster Suite as well. He traveled down the hall, not knowing where he was going. He got into the elevator and sighed when the doors closed, thinking about what his brother told him. '_Make me leave the room. Keh. I wish he'd try. What do they think I'm going to do?_' But he alread knew the answer to that. He knew they suspected that he would hold what happened between Kikyo and him against Kagome. '_It's kina hard not to, since she looks EXACTLY LIKE HER!_' His temper began to flare and he suddenly wanted to hit something. '_How the hell did that happen anyway? It's like genetics are playing a really sick joke._' As he thought about it, he realized that he was getting all worked up over something he couldn't control. '_I can't change how she looks, and neither can she. Unless. . ._' He briefly considered getting the girl a mask to wear before dismissing the thought. '_Well, if things get really bad, it's always an option. That and a paper bag._' He sighed once again. He was just being prejudice towards the girl, something he hated. Especially when people judged him based on Sesshomaru. So. . . he wouldn't. At least he'd try not to.

The elevator doors opened and he was in the lobby. He was still deciding what he would do when he heard a piano playing a familiar song off to his right somewhere. Following the sound, he wondered where he had heard the tune before. The youth soon came to an elderly man dressed in a cheap tuxedo and playing the piano. Around the instrument were a few stools. He took one and started to listen. '_I'm sure I've heard this somewhere._' After a few moments of trying to find out where, he gave up. '_All this thinking is giving me a headache._' He sighed yet again and pinched the bridge of his nose, a habit he had picked up from Sesshomaru but would rather die than admit it.

"Having a bad day?"

Inuyasha looked up. It was the piano player. "What do you care, old man?"

"Just an observation." The elderly gentleman shrugged, never missing a note. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"You have no idea," muttered the teen, rolling his eyes. "What's this song?"

"Ah. It's not too recent. Popular about fifteen years back, I guess. It's called '_If Only_', if I'm not mistaken." The old man looked down at his fingers for a moment, then back at the boy. "Why do you ask?"

"Thought I heard it somewhere." He shook his head, wishing he had a bottle of aspirin as the song finished off. The man started another, then another. After the third song ended, the teen stood and started to walk away.

"Things are never as bad as they seem," the old man called after him.

Inuyasha stopped where he stood. "Right. They're worse."

"I'm sure they are if you look at things that way."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Keep thinking like that and it'll just make you bitter."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and started to walk away once again. "Whatever, old man." But as he left, he put a twenty in the jar labeled 'TIPS' that sat on the far end of the piano before heading for the elevators.

The man saw the gesture and smiled. "Good kid."

:-:

Inuyasha arrived at the doors to the Alabaster Suite minutes later. '_Good thing I remembered to get a key before I left._' After letting himself in, he set the key on the table that he took it from before sitting on one of the couches.

"I thought I heard you come in." Sango entered the room, followed by Miroku.

The youth didn't respond.

"She's still sleeping," stated the other boy, putting his hands in his pockets.

After a moment's pause, the girl spoke once again. "So. . . what have you been up to? Where'd you go?"

"Down to the lobby."

"For any particular reason?" Miroku sat down as well.

"Nope."

"So you just walked around the lobby for twenty minutes?" Sango asked skeptically.

He shook his head. "Nuh uh. This old guy was playing the piano."

"And you listened?" Miroku was in shock.

"Yeah, what about it?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed.

"Nothing. You just don't seem like the type to. . . uh. . ." Miroku caught the look that the other boy was giving him. "Never mind."

"He was playing a song I thought I heard before."

"Oh. What was it?" inquired the girl, swinging her legs.

"Uh. . . I think he said it was called _Only If_ or something like that."

"What?" Sesshomaru was leaning against a wall.

"Some guy was playing a song on the piano downstairs. I think it was called '_Only If'_."

"'_If Only'_."

"What? You know it?"

"I've heard it before." The older brother's tone was cool and even.

"Me too, but I don't know where."

Sesshomaru made a neutral noise in the back of his throat. "She should be waking any minute now."

"Good." To their surprise, his voice held no sarcasm. No one commented on it, however, and they waited in silence. About fifteen minutes later, Inuyasha spoke again.

"What do we know about her?"

"You know more than us," said Sesshomaru nonchalantly.

Inuyasha glared at him. "I mean, about her dad and all. You got the police report, right?"

"Yes. It said that Mr. Higurashi was shot three times in the torso and was dead when the wife found him upstairs in his study. There were no leads to his killer."

"So Naraku got away clean. But what about the girl?"

"Asleep in her room downstairs at the time."

Inuyasha absorbed that as Miroku spoke.

"Naraku said that he was sure that the girl knew where the tape was. He said that he was sure that the father told her. How could he be so certain?"

"He probably had bugs or something in the house, but that doesn't matter right now." Inuyasha shrugged.

"Inuyasha is correct. At the moment we have more pressing matters on our hands," said Sesshomaru, then a soft moan was heard.

"Here we go again," muttered Inuyasha. Sesshomaru had left the door halfway open, so he could see the girl's moving form on the bed.

They started toward the door silently. Sango was about to open it when the amber-eyed older brother held up a hand to stop her. She looked at him quizzically.

"Let's see how she takes to being imprisoned first," he said quietly, watching the girl.

Sango made a face, then turned to Inuyasha. "By any chance, did he torture puppies when he was younger?"

He eyed his sibling, then replied. "Not sure."

"Quiet," commanded Sesshomaru, still looking into the room.

The girl moaned again, then tried to sit up. It was a losing battle, it seemed, but she was determined to sit upright. Only after she was erect did she realize that her wrist was tied to the bed. She looked at it in a puzzled fashion, then realization dawned over her features. She was remembering what happened when she first woke. She looked around quickly and, after seeing no one in the room, began to pull frantically at the tie attaching her to the bed.

"Come on," she muttered, cursing the thing when it wouldn't give. She pulled herself up on her knees with some difficulty and tried to work the knot loose with her free hand.

Inuyasha watched the girl struggle for a few more seconds, then looked at his brother. He seemed vaguely amused. He shook his head, then continued to watch.

After a while, the girl got the knot untied and sat up. She swayed a little, then scooted to the edge of the bed. Just then, Sesshomaru opened the door all the way and spoke. "I wouldn't try to stand just yet."

The girl froze, then slowly turned in their direction. The amber-eyed man entered the room and the others followed. She looked quite terrified as he approached her. "Leave me alone!" she cried, trying to back away and falling off of the bed in the process.

Sesshomaru stopped where he stood, but continued to talk. "You'll probably faint and that would be a shame. We've been waiting quite patiently for you to wake." He noticed the girl looking about the room discretely, trying to find the exit. He shook his head. "Don't try it." She gave him a look, as if to say 'Try and stop me.' The amber-eyed man sighed. "Would you like another dose?" He gestured to the dresser, where the bottle and towel sat.

The girl wasn't stupid. She knew that whatever was in the bottle had her feeling as if she had risen from the dead. Another dose probably wouldn't be a good idea. She shook her head, eyeing the objects once again.

Sesshomaru glanced at Sango. "Help her up."

She did as she was told, helping the weak girl back onto the bed. As soon as she was seated, Kagome put her back to the headboard, the position allowing her to see all of her kidnapers at once. They merely watched her. She licked her lips and swallowed nervously, then uttered five words.

"What am I doing here?"

AN: Whew. That was hard. And long. Hey! Stop thinking like that, you bunch of perverts! It took me two weeks to get this chapter satisfactory and I'm now exhausted. Chapter 8 should be up in a few days. I'm really sorry about the delay, but these things happen. Later!


	8. In the Alabaster Suite

AN: Me no babble.

**Disclaimer: **Me no own.

**Chapter Eight: In the Alabaster Suite**

They waited in silence for her response. They had just told her about the situation, her involvement, and what they needed from her. There had been certain moments where the topic got a little awkward. Inuyasha had prevented them from saying certain things, such as her father's killer. They had kept all mention of her father to the bare minimum. And now they were waiting for her to do something. Anything. She was just staring into space, hardly even blinking. Inuyasha sighed, wondering if she had even heard him.

"Fine." It was spoken so softly that they weren't sure if they had heard it.

"What?" Miroku edged forward, trying to hear her better.

"I said fine. I'll do it." She closed her eyes and the room fell silent. She abided it for a while, but then cleared her throat. "If you don't mind me asking, who are you people?"

"I'm Sango." She shook the girl's hand.

"Miroku." He also took her hand. "That's Sesshomaru over there." The older brother gave her a curt not, which she returned. "And this is his younger brother, Inuyasha." At the sound of his name the girl's eyes went wide and she stared at the amber-eyed teenager.

Kagome blinked once. Twice. Three times. After a moment, she took a deep breath. "Really?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Yep."

She nodded also, still staring at him. "I-I'm sorry. It's just that. . ." She faltered and looked away. He was handsome. Very handsome. With his amber eyes and silver hair, she had never seen anyone like him, with the exception of his equally handsome brother. She swallowed. '_But it's not like it matters anyway. It was all just a job to him. Everything we said. Everything he told me for the past few weeks, it was just so that they could kidnap me and get the stupid tape._' The girl swallowed nervously once again. "I can't believe it." She stared at the youth. '_I was actually starting to like him. But it was all a lie._' She looked down at her hands, feeling tears come to her eyes. '_No! I won't cry over this. Over him._' She blinked them away quickly, then looked him in the eye. "So this is why you couldn't be online tonight."

"Yeah." Was his reply.

"Hmm." The girl looked away once again. "One truth in a sea of lies," she murmured to herself, but he heard.

'_Wait. She thinks I lied to her?_' Inuyasha opened his mouth to object. "I. . ."

"So how do you plan on not getting caught?" she asked Sesshomaru.

"We have a story for your family. By the time they figure out that it isn't true, you'll be out of the way."

"In the country house," she muttered. He nodded. They had told her of their plans to reside in their house on the outskirts of Japan as their plans unfolded. '_Whatever they are,_' she thought, annoyed. '_They won't tell me what they're doing. But I can't blame them, I guess._' "But there's no guarantee that you won't be caught."

Sesshomaru eyed her warily. "I suppose not." '_Where is this going?_'

The girl nodded. "And how long am I supposed to be staying with you people?"

"A few months."

"Months?" She opened her mouth to object, but realization bloomed in her eyes. A slow smile crept over her features. "Okay."

Now he was becoming very suspicious. '_She's planning something_,' mused the older brother, eyes narrowing.

Kagome too was deep in thought. '_This is perfect! I can't believe my luck! Months! If things go my way, I won't be able to come home until school starts. But if they get caught. . ._' She frowned slightly. '_I can't let that happen. They can't get caught. They just _can't._ But what can I. . ._' She smiled once again. '_I know. But I can't do it just yet. I'll have to wait until later on._'

The others watched the girl think, puzzled. '_What could she be up to?_' Sesshomaru observed her warily. Upon his observation, he noted that the girl seemed lightheaded. "Something wrong?"

She gave him a flat look. "No. I'm just perfectly fine. After you've drugged me twice in the past. . ." She checked a clock "two and a half hours with enough narcotic to kill a horse, I'm just peachy."

"If you were feeling bad you could have said something." It was Inuyasha who spoke.

She turned and fixed him with a heated glare. "Don't talk to me right now."

"Wha–"

"Nope."

"But–"

"Nuh uh."

"What the–"

"No. You no talkie."

"Well what's wrong, Kagome?" asked Miroku, trying not to laugh as Inuyasha sputtered angrily.

"I have a headache and Dog Boy over there isn't helping any."

"Order room service," offered Sango with a shrug. "I have something that could help with her head, but taking it on an empty stomach would only make her feel worse."

Sesshomaru nodded to Miroku, who picked up the room phone. "Yes, room service please?" As placed their orders, Kagome used Sango's cell phone to leave a message with Yuka. She told them a story about meeting friends that were in town for the day and spending the night to catch up.

"Okay. Bye Yuka." She hung up the phone and rolled her eyes. '_My friends ask too many questions._' As they waited for their food to arrive, she took the opportunity to get some rest. She fell asleep huddled in a ball against the headboard.

"She's not what I expected," commented Sango, looking at the slumbering girl.

"It's possibly just the medicine talking," said Miroku. "We did give her a lot of it."

"True."

Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell to the suite rang, and a call of "Room service!" was heard. Sesshomaru got up to answer the door, leaving the three to wake the girl.

Sango gently shook her shoulder. "Kagome." There was no response. "Sango shook her harder. "Kagome?" There was still no response. She glanced around the room, getting shrugs from the two boys. She spoke louder. "Kagome? Get up. The food's here." Nothing. Sango was starting to get nervous. "Kagome!" She shook the girl once again, and when that didn't work, she took to slapping her cheeks. Still nothing. "Sesshomaru!"

The older sibling looked into the room. "What?"

"She won't wake up."

He crossed to the edge of the bed within moments. '_She's still breathing._' "Just keep trying to wake her." He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Doc?"

"Sesshomaru?"

"Yes. Are you busy at the moment?"

"No. . ." There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Do you need something?"

"Yes. I wonder if you could come take a look at a friend."

"Well what's wrong with them?"

"She fell asleep"

"And?"

"She won't wake up."

There was another pause. "What?"

"She isn't waking up." He hated repeating himself.

"Where are you?"

"The Chateau. Alabaster Suite. Fifth floor."

"I'll be there in a minute."

Sesshomaru hung up the phone. "Anything?"

Sango shook her head. They had taken to pinching the girl's arms, hands, and cheeks, hoping that the pain would wake her, but there was no luck. "Kagome!" She gently hit her face, then shook her again. Still no response.

Inuyasha pinched the girl's inner arm. "Wake up, Kagome." He pinched her again. To their relief, the girl jerked in her sleep.

"Hit her," ordered Sesshomaru.

Sango did as she was told, slapping the girl's cheeks softly. "Kagome," she called, shaking her again. The girl moved her head, trying to get away from their hands. They kept at it and she responded a bit more each time.

Finally the girl's eyelids fluttered and opened. She groaned softly, turning her head away from them. They waited anxiously. "Why does my face hurt?" Kagome asked, voice barely a whisper.

"We had to slap you around to get you to wake up," replied Inuyasha, watching her warily.

"I'm goin' back t' sleep," she murmured, closing her eyes.

"No!" they all cried.

She opened one sleepy eye. "Huh?"

"Kagome, we can't let you go back to sleep right now," said Sango.

"But I'm tired."

"I know, but you have to stay awake. Just for a little while, okay?" Kagome nodded, then opened her eyes. "Here. I'll sit you up. Maybe that will help you stay awake." She pulled the girl to sit upright, but leaning against the headboard. "Better?" The girl just rested her head on her shoulder, closing her eyes once again. "Open your eyes."

"Why?"

"Because you can't fall asleep."

"But I'm not asleep."

Sango sighed. "Please?"

"I don't want to. It hurts."

"It hurts to open your eyes?"

Kagome nodded. Sango started to say more when a knock sounded at the door. Sesshomaru went to answer it.

"Well? Is she awake?"

"Just barely."

"Where?" The older brother showed him to the bedroom where the girl was still fighting to stay awake. "What's her name?"

"Kagome."

The doctor made his way over to the bed. "Kagome?" He knelt next on the floor next to her.

She opened one eye. "Who are you?"

The man laughed softly. "I'm Doctor Sikoto, but you can just call me Doc if you like."

"Mmm-kay Doc." Her eyelid slid shut. "Can I go to sleep now?"

"Not yet. We're going to find out why you're sleeping so much first, okay?"

"Mmm." She nodded.

"Okay. I want you to open your eyes as wide as you can."

"I can't. It hurts."

"Try, okay?"

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut before opening them as wide as she could, which wasn't very wide at all.

"Okay..." Doc shone a light in her left eye. She winced and backed away, blocking the light with her hand. "That hurt?" She nodded. "Alright. I have to do it again, but I'll be quick. Okay?"

With a sigh, she moved her hand and let him shine the bright light into her eyes.

"Her pupils aren't dilating properly. Did you give her anything?"

All four kidnappers simultaneously looked towards the dresser where the bottle of narcotic sat. The doctor gave them a flat look, then examined the bottle. "How much did you give her?"

"Two doses," replied Sesshomaru, monotone as always.

"A time frame, please?"

"Two and a half hours."

"You're kidding, right?" It was Sesshomaru's turn to give him a deadpan look. "It's a wonder you got her to wake up at all. Were two absolutely necessary?"

"Yes."

Doc just shook his head and looked around. "Tell me what happened. You said she fell asleep and wouldn't wake up?"

Sango nodded. "Yeah. We were going to get her something to eat that way she could take something for a headache, and she fell asleep while we were waiting for the food. The food got here and we tried to wake her up, but we couldn't. It took us nearly ten minutes for her to even respond to us."

Doc nodded. "Okay. Can you move her to that couch? It would be easier to work around the couch than this bed."

Sesshomaru nodded and picked up the girl, transferring her to the anteroom.

The girl opened her eyes marginally. "Is this real?"

Sesshomaru looked down at her. "Is what real?"

"Your hair and eyes. Are they real or did you dye it and get contacts?"

"It's real."

"Seriously?" Kagome gave him a sleepy smile. "Silver and gold. How poetic." She touched a lock of his hair. "It's soft."

Sesshomaru put her down on the couch, not replying.

Doc turned on the lights and for the first time got a glimpse of Miroku's head. "What happened to you?"

"Hair drier."

"Who?" The four eyed the girl, who giggled. "Oh. Okay." The doctor thought about it for a moment. "Is that what brought on dose number two?" he asked. They nodded. "I'm not even going to ask about dose number one. I bet it's a really long complicated story that I don't want to get involved in."

Suddenly Kagome started to giggle again. They all turned to look at her. "It's quite simple really," she said with a huge grin. "I've been kidnaped." She burst out in laughter that had an edge of hysteria. "Yep! Kidnaped by Dog boy and crew." She laughed even harder, then sighed. "Dog boy. He's such a liar. Everything he said. Lies." Her laughter calmed to a soft chuckle as she wiped her eyes. "Well you know what Dog Boy? I don't care. You can just go copulate yourself with a flagpole." Doc coughed, hiding a smirk. Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku just blinked. Sesshomaru looked stoic as always. The girl sighed. "Idiot. That means I want you to get the biggest, shiniest, tallest flagpole you can find and shove it up your a–"

Doc clamped his hand over her mouth. "Enough talking for now," he said, gently pushing her hair out of her eyes. She nodded, but glared at Inuyasha. It took everything in him not to laugh at the shocked expressions on the teenagers' faces. "I'm going to give you a shot, alright? It should help you feel better when you wake up." He pulled out the needle and gave her the shot, to which she gave no reaction. She didn't wince, she didn't stiffen, she didn't do anything. '_How odd._'

"I can go to sleep now?" she asked hopefully.

Doc nodded. "Yes. You can go to sleep." She smiled at him and closed her eyes. In an instant, she asleep. Doc chuckled, shaking his head. "She's a handful, I'm sure. Come here, Miroku. Looks like she gave you a pretty big knot there."

"Doc?" asked Inuyasha curiously.

"Yes?"

"One dose of this stuff should have been enough to knock her out for a while, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"It's just that the first time we gave her some, she woke up an hour later and. . ." He proceeded to tell the doctor about Kagome's attempted escape even though she had been recently drugged. "Doesn't that seem a little weird?" he finished.

"I have to side with Inuyasha on this one," said Sango softly. "It wasn't even an hour after we gave her the first dose and she just shook it of like nothing. I mean, it took Inuyasha, Miroku, and I to hold her down. And even then, she almost got away. Seems odd, right?"

Doc frowned. "Adrenaline perhaps? That would also explain why she's so tired now. Too much of the narcotic as well as coming down from an adrenaline rush would make anyone sick."

They nodded silently, the room going quiet. Suddenly Miroku laughed.

"Not you too," muttered Inuyasha, rolling his eyes.

The boy continued to laugh softly for a moment before he spoke. "Flagpole." Then he started laughing again.

They frowned and as Sango and Inuyasha tried to figure out what he was talking about, Doc started laughing too.

"Ohhh," gasped Sango, then started giggling.

Inuyasha blinked then shook his head, but a grin was tugging at the corners of his lips. He was soon chuckling. "Flagpole," he repeated, still laughing. It took them several minutes to calm down. "Oh man," sighed Inuyasha, wiping his eyes. "We should drug her more often."

"No you shouldn't," protested Doc.

"But it was funny."

"You could have put her in a coma."

"Fine. No drugs." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and collapsed into a chair. '_This is going to be a few long months._'

AN: I know this chapter sucks as well as it being shorter than normal, but I tried. Seriously. I'm not feeling well (prescription pain killers are making me drowsy) and I'm thoroughly exhausted, waiting for this hurricane to come and all. I've been trying to update, but there was no inspiration. Oh well. I'll try. I have then next chapter pretty much mapped out in my head, so it should go smoothly. Please review. Please? For your injured author buddy? Please?


	9. The Morning After

AN: "I want to break free. I want to break freeeeeee!" (dances around Freddie Mercury style with an imaginary mic stand.) ". . . you're so self satisfied, I don't need you! I've got to break free." (stops and looks at audience) Oh. Here already (laughs nervously) Uh. . . As you can see. . . I'm in a very good mood. Don't know why. Doesn't matter. I'm back with a new chapter! And I'll let you read it. But only if you forget everything I just did. YOU SAW NOTHING. Okay. Continue.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha and crew and I don't own "I Want to Break Free". Queen does. And (sniffle) I don't own Freddie Mercury. Why, God? WHY?

**Chapter Nine: The Morning After**

Doc had stayed the night, looking after the girl. She slept soundly, not waking once during the night.

The next day, the three teens plus Doc woke late in the morning.

Miroku groaned. "My head."

Sango snorted, rolling her eyes.

Inuyasha yawned, stretching. "What's for breakfast?"

Sesshomaru had been up for an hour and was on his cell phone. "Tonight? Wonderful. It's been a pleasure." He hung up, then turned to his brother. "Order room service."

"And for her?" He nodded towards the girl still sleeping on the couch. She was snuggled under a blanket, lips parted slightly.

"She seems like a pancake kind of girl," said Sango, putting on her shoes.

Inuyasha nodded, then proceeded to order the food. "What? That long?"

Sesshomaru turned towards his little brother. "A problem?"

"It's going to be an hour. There's a convention downstairs or something."

Taking the phone from his sibling, the older of the two spoke into the mouthpiece quietly for a moment or two, then hung up. "It'll be here shortly."

They said nothing, but Doc chuckled softly, gathering his things. "I'd like to check her once she wakes up."

Sesshomaru merely nodded, turning and walking into a bedroom in search of his tie. The next ten minutes passed quietly, then there came a knock at the suite's door and a cry or 'Room service'.

After the food was set on the table, with a knife and fork for everyone, they sat down to eat.

"What about her?" asked Sango, eyes resting on the girl once again.

"She should be up soon," replied Doc, taking a bite of his omelette.

"We'll be leaving after she eats. We have much to do today," stated Sesshomaru from a nearby armchair.

The group muttered their understanding, continuing their breakfast quietly. Minutes later, a soft murmur broke the silence. Five pairs of eyes shot to the waking girl on the couch. She yawned, rubbing her eyes with a fist like a small child. Sitting up slowly, she opened her eyes and gasped.

"Take it easy," warned Miroku, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

She gave a small _eep_ and darted off of the couch, backing away from them warily.

"Kagome?" asked Sango, cautiously advancing.

"Back!" The girl stumbled, landing on the floor, but continued to retreat.

"We're not going to hurt you," tried Miroku, but didn't move.

Kagome's memories of the night before were quite fuzzy, and she was only able to remember bits and pieces clearly. But one thing was clear. "You kidnaped me." She frowned at the five people before her. Her eyes narrowed and she looked at the three teens. "You. . ." She could remember running, then those three holding her down. "You tackled me?"

"No," started Inuyasha.

She turned to him. "And you lied to me." '_I'm so confused!_' She continued to look at him before a lightbulb went off in her head. "Dogboy."

"Wait–"

"Stop." She could hardly think. Putting a hand to her head, she shook herself and watched the five people in front of her. She pointed at Sesshomaru, eyes narrowed once again. "I just don't like you. And you." She turned to the doctor, searching her memory for evidence of him.

"Doc," he reminded her.

"Doc," she repeated softly. All she could remember was that he was nice to her. She watched him cautiously for a minute, then lowered the accusing finger pointed at him. "You're alright."

He started forward slowly and, when she didn't make him stop, knelt next to her. "Come on." He put a hand on her arm, helping her up.

"I don't like them." She glared at the other four in the room.

"They won't hurt you."

"But they kidnaped me."

"I'm sure they have an excellent reason for it." She frowned, but seemed content with his reply and allowed him to help her back to the couch. He examined her after she ate. "I want you to open your eyes real wide for me, okay?" The girl did as she told, opening her eyes wide. "Good. Better than last night. Does this hurt at all?" She shook her head. He shined a light into her eyes. "What about now?" Once again, she shook her head. "Well, her pupils are dilating properly. She's fine."

"You call this fine? Stupid girl can't even remember anything," muttered Inuyasha, crossing his arms. Kagome stuck her tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes.

Doc observed the whole encounter with a slight smile. "Well, it's your own fault."

"Keh."

"I suggest you don't give her anything medicine-wise for the next day or so. I'll bet anything that the narcotic will still be in her system for a while. I don't want to take any chances on a negative reaction." He stood, picking up his things.

"You're leaving?" asked Kagome, looking up at him.

"Yes. You five have a busy day." He turned away, then felt the girl latch onto his sleeve.

"You can't leave yet."

"Kagome–"

"Please?"

Doc looked down at the girl. '_She looks so upset. Poor thing. . ._' With a sigh, he glanced over at Sesshomaru. The older sibling shrugged. "Fine," the doctor said finally. "I'll only stay for a bit. Then I have to leave."

Kagome nodded, scooting over and giving him a place to sit. He smiled at her, and she returned the gesture wanly.

Her four kidnappers took the following ten minutes to remind her of the previous night's events. She sat, curled up into a ball, absorbing the information. Finally, she spoke.

"I did that?" she pointed to Miroku's head. He chuckled, nodding. "I'm sorry," she said softly, looking down at her hands as if ashamed.

"It's alright." Miroku grinned at the girl, making her give a slight, shy smile.

"I was supposed to tell you something," Kagome murmured, looking at Sesshomaru with a puzzled frown. She silently chewed her bottom lip, thinking. Suddenly words came back to her from the night before. '_But there's no guarantee that you won't be caught._' She blinked. "But there's no guarantee that you won't be caught," she murmured, frown deepening.

"You said that," stated Sango.

The girl didn't respond at first. '_Something about them not wanting to get caught. But why wouldn't I want them to be caught? Hmm. . . something else. Three months? What about three months? Wait! I remember!_' She looked at the older silver-haired brother. "I have a proposition to make."

"A proposition," he repeated slowly. She nodded. "And what are you proposing?"

"A guarantee."

He arched a perfectly sculpted brow. "Oh?"

"Yes."

"And what would you get out of this 'guarantee'?"

She shrugged. "You're supposed to be keeping me alive, right? I figure it's the least I can do to help."

Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't buy it." The girl glared at him.

"It is rather suspicious." The older brother eyed her.

She sighed. "I'm just trying to help us all out here. It would be easier to do this if you didn't have to worry about the police, right?"

"She does have a point," commented Sango with a sigh.

"Indeed she does, but I want to know why she's offering." He watched her for a moment.

"If you want to take me up on this, we'll have to do it soon. Before eleven." They all glanced to a nearby clock. It read 10:38.

"You seem to want this more than we do. Why?"

She crossed her arms, not replying for a moment, then looked up at them. "I have my reasons." There was something akin to anger in her eyes when she spoke. A quiet, simmering anger, the sort that accumulates over time.

Sesshomaru was silent for a several seconds, eyeing the girl. Instead of looking away, as they would have expected, she met his gaze with her own. Finally, he replied. "I accept."

"What?" exploded Inuyasha. "You can't be serious! She could set us up!"

"I have to agree with Inuyasha on this one. It is very. . . odd," added Miroku.

"Fine then. If you want to have the cops on your tails, fine. My mom knows a few people in high places. They'd find you."

"And how do you intend to go about this?" asked the older brother.

"I just need a phone. One phone call. That's all."

He handed her his cell phone and watched her dial. When she started to put the phone to her ear, he intervened. "Speaker phone."

She sighed but nodded, doing as she was told.

After a few rings, a woman answered. "Higurashi Law Firm. How may I direct your call this morning?"

"Yes. This is Ms. Higurashi's daughter, Kagome? I was hoping I'd catch her before she went out to lunch–"

"Of course, Miss Higurashi. She's just doing some paperwork before she left. I'll connect you immediately."

There was some highly annoying 'hold' music playing for a few moments before another woman picked up."

"Higurashi speaking."

"Mom?"

"Kagome?"

"Yeah."

"How was that party last night? Have a good time?"

"Yeah. I had a blast."

"Any guys there?"

"Yep."

"Good."

The four were slightly startled at the mother's answer, but didn't make a sound. "Guess who's in town, Mom?"

"Who?"

"Sango and her step brothers."

"Sango?" The woman sounded slightly puzzled, and she wasn't the only one. Even Doc seemed to be startled that time.

"Yes. That girl from the 'Women in Law' conference you took me to a few years ago? Her mom's a lawyer?" Now Sango, who had never been to a 'Women in Law' conference in her life, listened, mouth agape.

"Oh. Sango. That'd be the one with. . ."

"Yeah! The long dark hair! That's her!"

"Oh. That's great! You said her step brothers are with her?"

"Yep. All three of them. Today's their last day in town, and we didn't have much time to catch up last night, so they want to know if I can come to stay with them at their country house this summer."

"Hmm. Sounds alright to me." There was a sound of papers ruffling in the background. "Kaoru's going to miss you, though. He's been waiting for you to get out of school so you two could spend some time together this summer."

The girl frowned slightly. "You don't say."

"Yes, but he'll be alright. It's fine with me. I'm going to Shoi's for lunch. Meet me there so I can give you a credit card. Are you taking your stuff from school with you or are you coming by the house to pack?"

"I'm just taking some of the clothes. I can't take too much. See you at Shoi's. Bye." The girl hung up the phone. "She goes to lunch from eleven to twelve." There was silence. They were still in semi-shock. "What?"

Sesshomaru was the first to recover, but he didn't say a word.

Doc blinked. "What kind of woman–"

Kagome held up a hand to stop him. "It'd be best if you didn't ask. We have an hour to get to Shoi's."

"Does that happen often?" asked the older brother finally.

"Does what happen often?"

"Her just letting you go off with people she doesn't even know," said Doc, shaking his head in disbelief.

She didn't give him a reply. "One hour. And I've got to change," she said instead.

"It's not really odd to wear pajamas out in public. And those don't even look like pj's anyway, so why do you have to change?" asked Sango curiously.

"Mom says that you always have to look your best. You never know who's watching," she replied, voice a mere murmur as she went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair with the hotel's supplied toiletries. She came out minutes later, finding the doctor and her four kidnappers ready to leave. They exited the hotel, waiting for Sesshomaru as he checked out of their room.

"I was going to ask for a ride back to my hotel, but there's no room, so I'll catch a cab–" started Doc, but was cut off by Sesshomaru.

"Ride up front. Kagome's small enough to sit in someone's lap. But you're hotel's on the other side of town, so you'll have to come with us to Shoi's and to get her things.

"That's fine with me. . ." he started, but noticed Kagome's suddenly pale face. "Unless you don't want me to."

She shook herself. "No. It's fine." They looked at her for a moment, then started to pile into the car.

"Kagome?" asked Sango from the back seat.

"Yes?"

"I suggest you ride in Inuyasha's lap. Not Miroku's."

"Uh, okay." The girl shrugged, sitting on the silver-haired teen.

"Who's Kaoru?" asked Miroku curiously.

"No one."

"Ohhh. I see. Is he. . . your boyfriend?" teased Sango playfully.

"Not mine. My mom's."

"Oh. Let me guess. Forty-something, fat and balding."

The girl shook her head. "Slim, dark hair. Twenty-five." Something in her voice ended that conversation quickly. They drove on in silence for roughly fifteen minutes. "I have to change," she reminded them.

"Sango's got an extra set of clothes in the trunk. You're smaller than her, but they'll have to do. You can change when we get there," responded Sesshomaru from the driver's seat. She nodded quietly.

They arrived at the restaurant ten minutes later, and Kagome went to change in the bathroom before her mother spotted her. She came out in a button-down purple shirt and a knee-length blue-jean skirt. She wore slip-in brown shoes. The clothes were about a size or so too large, but they were the best she could do at that time. She took a deep breath, then another, and another. She was quite obviously anxious.

"You'd think you were getting ready for a fight or something," snapped Inuyasha, annoyed.

She didn't reply, but shot him a look instead. '_I may be,_' she thought grimly, then stepped out of the restroom and headed to the best seat in the house, where she knew her mother would be.

"There you are." The woman stood and hugged her daughter, but there was no compassion in the gesture. "Uhg. Look at you! Losing more weight, I see. Your clothes don't even fit properly anymore! While you're gone, I want you to get some clothes that actually fit! But these will do for now. At least they look halfway decent. Introduce me to your friends." Kagome did as she was told. "Ah. Sango. Long time no see." She hugged the girl as well, without so much as a clue that she had never met the girl before. "How is your mother?"

"Fine. She told me to tell you hello," she said slowly, resisting the urge to glance at Kagome for reassurance.

"Wonderful. And who are these handsome young men?" asked Ms. Higurashi, smiling.

Doc laughed good naturedly. "I'm not young."

"But you look amazing."

"That's Sango's step father. He's going to come with us for the trip there, but he's got to go back to his office before he can join us," said Kagome, improvising.

"Office?"

"I'm a doctor."

"Ah. A doctor. You hear that Kagome? Just like your father."

Doc and the four kidnappers noticed the flash of anger in the girl's eyes before she controlled her expression. "Mmhmm."

The mother, however, didn't. She moved onto the two teenage boys next.

"Miroku and Inuyasha."

The woman shook their hands. "And who is this?" she asked, smiling up at the silver-haired sibling charmingly.

"That's Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's brother."

"I see," said the woman, shaking his hand and holding it for a bit too long.

Kagome noticed immediately. "He's engaged," she said quickly.

"Oh. That's nice." She let go of his hand. "Please. Sit."

"We can't. We have a lot to do. I've got to go get my things ready," started the girl.

"Yes. We're staying about four hours west of here by train, plus we've got to get Kagome's things–" started Doc.

"West? You'll have to go visit your aunt and brother while you're out that way, Kagome. Here's the credit card. You remember the number for it?" Kagome nodded. "Good. And there's one more thing before you go. . . where is he?"

"He?" The girl seemed a bit apprehensive.

"Yes. Kaoru wanted to come and say goodbye. Oh! There he is!" The woman waved to her young boyfriend, who was approaching the table with a smile.

He kissed the woman on the cheek, then turned to Kagome. "There's my girl!" He grinned at her.

"Go give him a hug, Kagome!" The woman pushed her daughter forward. "Honestly! She gets so shy sometimes!"

The girl stumbled forward, then, almost reluctantly, stepped into the man's arms in front of her. There was something about her expression that puzzled Doc and her kidnappers, but none of them could put their finger on it.

"It's been so long, hasn't it, Kags?" asked Kaoru, still smiling and hugging her. He pulled away moments later. "Well, let me get a look at you." He held her at arms length, studying her extensively from head to toe. "It's just amazing how much you grew in a school year," he said finally.

She still said nothing. She wasn't even smiling.

"Kagome!" her mother snapped, then sighed. "I swear. Teenagers these days." She rolled her eyes. "What took you so long, Kaoru?"

"I would have been here earlier, but I had to pick up a welcome home present for Kags here. I would have given it to her tonight when she came home, but since you're taking her away from me." There was something close to jealousy in his eyes as he looked at the men in front of him. "Here it is." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a palm-sized blue velvet box. "Open it." He handed it to her. Kagome opened the box, exposing a silver heart on a chain. "Do you like it?"

The girl smiled a fake smile, nodding with pseudo enthusiasm. "It's beautiful." Her mother didn't seem to notice her forced emotions, and the mother's boyfriend didn't seem to care. But the others noticed. They saw through her facade easily. They were all frowning.

"Let me put it on." Kaoru swept her hair over her shoulder and laying the cool to the touch metal against her neck. He paused, admiring the silver against her skin. "I knew it'd look great on you."

"It really does. It's simple, but very beautiful," commented Ms. Higurashi, positively beaming.

He did the clasp then rested his hands on her shoulders and leaned in close, his lips less than an inch from her ear. "When you're away, I want you to wear this and think of how much I love you. And how much your mother loves you, of course," he said softly, stroking the skin on her neck..

"Thank you." Her voice sounded different, almost distant. Her face was vacant of expression.

"You're welcome, Kags." He kissed her cheek, still touching her neck.

"We really must be going," said Doc, checking his watch.

Ms. Higurashi nodded. "I understand. Have a wonderful time, Kagome." The girl nodded distractedly.

"I want to walk her out," said Kaoru suddenly. The girl's mother shrugged. "Fine, but I've got to finish lunch and be back by noon."

Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Doc, Sesshomaru, Kagome, and Kaoru left the restaurant and entered the parking lot.

"Take care of my girl," said the mother's boyfriend with a look that was half jealous, half playful.

"We will," replied Doc coolly.

The man nodded, then turned to his girlfriend's daughter. "Kags." He pulled her into a hug that lasted, quite frankly, too long. "See you later, huh?" The girl nodded, her expression still vacant. He bent to kiss her, not on the cheek as the others expected, but on the lips. There was nothing remotely resembling a father-figure in that kiss. "Bye Kags," he said as they piled into the car. There was another brief flash of envy on his visage when he saw the girl sit in Inuyasha's lap, but that was soon covered with a smile. The girl didn't reply, but instead snatched the chain from her neck and threw it out the window as they drove away. Kaoru picked it up with a smile closer to a leer, and put it back in his pocket. They could hear him whistling cheerfully as he ambled back into the restaurant. They drove in absolute silence until Sesshomaru spoke, nearly twenty minutes later.

"We need gas." He stopped at a service station and got out of the car, walking towards the pump. Kagome got out as well. "Where are you going?"

She turned to him, still distant looking. "I wanted a bottle of water." Her voice was devoid of any emotion.

He didn't reply for a moment, the looked at Sango. "Go with her." The girl nodded, getting out of the car and escorted Kagome into the store. She said nothing, went to the back of the store, and got a water bottle.

As she approached the check out stand, the cashier, a middle aged woman, looked at her concernedly. "Are you alright sweetie?"

Kagome nodded, taking her paid for water. "I'm fine, thank you." She turned and walked out the door, Sango following close behind. Before getting back in the car, the girl stopped, took a swig of her water, and spat it into a nearby trash can. She climbed back into Inuyasha's lap without a word, staring blankly at the headrest in front of her. There was a tense silence in the car, then Doc spoke.

"Are you alright?" he asked watching the girl.

She turned towards him, gaze empty. "I'm fine." '_Three months. I'm away for three whole months,_' Kagome thought as she turned to face forward once again. '_No Mom, no Kaoru. Three whole months. Away. No Kaoru._' Inuyasha felt the girl in his lap shudder slightly, but when he looked up, her face was just as blank as before. '_Don't worry about it, Kagome. Just don't think about it._' Once again, she filed thoughts of her mother and her boyfriend away in her 'OPEN AND YOU **DIE**!' filing cabinet. The silver haired young man beneath her blinked. Before his very eyes, he saw the girl's face go from emotionless to indifferent. She looked almost bored. Everyone in the car noticed that shift.

"Are you sure you're okay, Kagome?" asked Sango worriedly as Sesshomaru got into the car.

"I'm fine," the girl said, flashing her a smile.

That merely troubled the automobile's occupants even more.

"You're sure?"

"Yes." She sounded exasperated.

There was a long, awkward silence that lasted several minutes before Doc spoke. "Kagome–"

"_Don't_." Her voice was so clipped, so angry, that everyone in the car stared. She took a deep, calming breath. "Just don't. Don't worry about it." She gave them a small smile that seemed slightly tense before looking down at her hands. "Don't worry about it," she repeated to herself softly, but they all heard. The car then went quiet once again. Sesshomaru pulled into the parking lot of her school fifteen minutes later.

"You'll have to be quick about this. We have to go get the tape–"

"No you don't. The tape is here."

"It's here," he repeated, and she nodded, getting out of the car and gesturing for them to follow.

They emptied the car and walked into her three-story dorm building. Up the stairs they went, to the third floor, and into the middle door on the right. Kagome's room.

"Sorry about the clutter. Have a seat." She gestured to the beds.

"Where is the tape?" asked Sesshomaru bluntly.

She chuckled softly. "Impatient, are we? I'll get it for you, but I have to change first."

"Change?"

"Yes. I can't get to it in this skirt."

"That's alright. We'll get it. Just tell me where it is."

"No you won't."

"What?"

"No you won't. You won't be able to fit. Any of you. I'm the smallest one here, and I barely fit, so I know none of you will. Now let me change. It'll only take a second." She went to her luggage, pulled out a pair of stretchy work-out pants and a t-shirt, ducking into the bathroom to put them on before Sesshomaru could object. She came out moments later, dressed, then looked around. "Hmm."

"Hmm?"

"They took the chair out. I'll need a leg up."

"Leg up? Up where?" asked Sango, puzzled.

Kagome pointed directly above where she stood to a small barely noticeable opening. She was right. None of them would fit except for her. "Now can someone please help me up?"

"I'll do it!" offered Miroku eagerly.

"Uh no." Sango shook her head.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. '_Pervert,_' he thought standing. "I'll do it. Come on." She eyed him warily before nodding. "Get on my shoulders." She did. "Can you get in?"

"Can you give me a boost?"

"Alright. One, two, three." He lifted her slightly, but it was enough for her to get a decent hold and raise herself into the attic-like space.

"You alright up there?" called Sango, listening to the sounds above their heads.

"Yeah. It's just a little dusty." They heard a soft sneeze. "Make that very dusty."

"Where is the tape, exactly?" Sesshomaru heard her moving to his left.

"Well, the founders of the school weren't cheap, per say, but they did skimp a little bit. They didn't put anything up here but the insulation. No sheet rock for the walls or anything."

"So?"

"So, the tape is up in the attic, where hardly anyone can reach, and hidden behind a nicely camouflaged piece of loose insulation. I've just got to count. . ." They heard her murmuring numbers. "Eighteen. Here it is." There was a long pause.

"Do you have it?"

She hesitated for several moments. "Yeah. I have it." Her voice sounded faint, almost weak.

"Something wrong?" called Sango.

There was another lengthy hesitation. "No," she answered finally. "I'm coming down." Seconds later, she lowered herself from the small opening, her feet dangling six feet in the air.

"Hang on." Inuyasha, with an annoyed sigh, caught her legs and helped her out, setting her on the floor.

She looked at him for a brief moment before she turned away. "Here." She thrust the tape towards Sesshomaru, looking quite eager to be rid of it. Sesshomaru glanced at her for a moment. "Can we use that?" He nodded towards a television and VCR.

She nodded. "Knock yourselves out. I'm going to take a bath. It was really dirty up there." She was streaked with dirt and dust. The older brother shook his head. "Not alone."

"Come on. I'm just taking a bath! We're three stories up!"

"And there's a fire escape right outside the bathroom window. If you want to take a shower, either let Sango wait with you or don't take one at all." He put the tape in and pressed play, ending the discussion.

Kagome was about to argue, but stopped her self, looking at the television screen where the tape was showing. With only a nod, she quickly gathered her towel and clothes, walking to the bathroom and letting Sango in behind her before closing the door.

"I'm sorry," said Sango, leaning against the sink.

"It's necessary, I guess." Kagome started the water, running it as hot as it would go.

"Yeah." There was a long silence.

Suddenly, Kagome laughed. "I feel like I should pamper myself one last time before becoming a prisoner."

"You're not really a prisoner. Just think of this as a nice long vacation, and we're your live in body guards."

"Right."

"The other house really is nice. It's huge, with a lake, and a balcony and everything. Your room's probably going to be next to mine–"

"You guys usually live together?"

Sango nodded. "Yeah. We go back and forth between houses, depending on whichever one's closer to our job."

"You mean to the person you have to kill."

She sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "I guess you could put it that way, but it's not how you think it is."

"Isn't it?"

"No. We have rules."

"Rules?"

"Yes."

"Like what? 'Don't miss'?" Kagome rolled her eyes.

Sango laughed softly, then glanced to the door and replied in a hushed tone. "That's a goon one, but ours are a . . . different."

"Really?" The girl's voice was dry and sarcastic.

"Really." There was a slight pause before she continued. "Do you know why we didn't take the job when we were assigned to kill you? Even before we knew who you were?"

Kagome stiffened slightly, but shook her head. "No."

"We didn't take it because we don't do bystanders. 'Innocents' we like to call you guys. We don't kill people like you, people who didn't do anything but be at the wrong place at the wrong time or overhear something you shouldn't have. Stuff like that. We only do the people who 'deserve it'. People like the guys we usually work for."

The girl was silent for a moment. "That is a pretty good rule," she said finally, and Sango laughed. "Killers with a conscience." She shook her head. "I thought that sort of thing only happened in movies."

"Nah. We're real enough. You want an autograph?"

Both girls laughed, and Kagome shut off the water. Sango turned her back, giving the girl her privacy. Only when she was in the bath tub and the shower curtain was closed did her 'guard' turn around once again.

"So. You say the house is nice huh?"

"Yep. I think you'll like it."

"Whose house is it?"

"Legally, it belongs to Sesshomaru. His parents passed that one down to him, and their other house, the one close to here, to Inuyasha."

"Wait. They both have a house?"

"Yes."

"I thought he said his parents were. . .never mind."

"They were and antique dealer and an artist. That wasn't a lie. His mom came from a rich family, and plus his dad wasn't just any antique dealer. He has stores all over the city, and they're very popular."

"Hmm. Wow. But wait. If they're rich, then why–"

"Why do they kill? Well, they had to be of age before they could get the money. Sesshomaru was only eligible for it a few years back. Before then, they had nothing. And before you ask why they didn't quit when they got the money. . ." Kagome closed her mouth. She was going to ask. Sango continued after taking a deep breath. "What we do isn't like some regular job. You can't just quit whenever you get ready. It doesn't work like that. You have to wait for the right time, else you'll end up in a lot of trouble."

"I didn't know it was that complicated." Kagome sat back amidst her bubbles, thinking. '_I kind of feel bad for them. They're stuck doing something they don't like to do, for who knows how long._' She smiled slightly. "You said you guys were my body guards. You didn't say anything about a dictator."

Sango laughed quietly. "Sesshomaru leaves a lot to be desired sometimes, but you can trust him. Inuyasha too. And Miroku, for that matter. You just better watch his hands."

"His hands?"

"They have a tendency to wander."

"So that's why you wouldn't let me sit in his lap. I knew there was something about him. He was just too nice."

"Yeah. Just a little." Sango smiled, but hesitated to continue. "This whole 'guard' thing will probably stop after a while. You've just got him a little bit nervous, that's all. I mean, you pulled that whole thing with your mom out of the blue."

There was a long silence. "I guess I did. I knew it would sorta put you guys on edge, but. . . it needed to be done."

"And it's a win-win situation. It's going to be a lot easier to get things done without having to worry about the cops after us."

"I figured as much."

"I didn't expect Sesshomaru to go for it that quick though. He just bought right into it, without knowing what you wanted from it or anything."

For a few minutes, the girl didn't respond. "I think he knew that some doors are better left unopened. Sometimes, you just need to leave things alone," she said finally.

"Sometimes," agreed Sango.

Kagome made a neutral sound in the back of her throat, starting to wash her hair. "It's going to be a while before that tape is over. I'd prefer not going back in there before then."

"You've seen it?"

"Yes. There's about forty-five minutes of home videos to get through before anything happens that might interest them."

"Then why were you in such a rush to leave the room?" The girl was silent. "I'm sorry," said Sango, shaking her head. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Kagome took a deep breath, shaking her head even though the other girl couldn't see. "Some things are best left alone, Sango," she said softly, then ran the water to rinse her hair.

"I'm sorry," the other girl said once again when the water stopped.

"Don't worry about it. If it bothers you that much, then just don't think about it." Kagome put relaxed in her bath once again, letting her conditioner set.

"Is that coming from experience?"

The girl stiffened in her bath, not replying for a long while. "Sango," she started finally, "You're a really nice person and I hate to be rude, but I'd rather not get into this with you."

"I see."

Kagome rinsed her hair for a final time. "Can you please hand me my towel?"

"Sure." Sango gave the girl her towel and once again turned her back, allowing her to change. "I didn't mean to intrude," she started after a lengthy silence. "It's just that–"

"I know." Kagome sighed, pulling on her jeans. "I never meant for that to happen."

"What?"

"It was just supposed to be a quick visit to get the credit card. That was all. I didn't think he'd be there. I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I've got everyone feeling so awkward. I didn't intend for any of it to happen this way."

"Kagome–" She was interrupted by the girl brushing past her and out the door.

"Can I go take a walk?"

Sesshomaru looked up at her. "If you take Sango with you."

"I want to go alone."

"Then no."

"I don't want to go with her. I want to see the tape." Sango was leaning against the doorframe to the bathroom.

"Someone has to go with her."

She glanced at the television screen. "Please." It was spoken so softly that they weren't sure they heard right.

"You can't go alone."

"I'll go." Doc stood, stretching.

Sesshomaru glanced at the two of them. "Be back in fifteen minutes." Kagome didn't reply, but instead walked out of the room, followed by Doc. He waited until they were gone to turn to Sango. "What was that?"

"She could use a few minutes alone. No guards. Just alone."

The silver-haired man didn't say anything for a long while. "You two were talking. What did you find out about her?" he asked finally.

Sango sighed, sitting on the bed between the two boys. "She's a sweet girl. Real secretive, though. She doesn't like to talk about herself."

"Would you, with a mom like that?" asked Inuyasha, rolling his eyes.

"I know. She treated us better than she did her own daughter."

"Not to mention that boyfriend of hers," added Miroku softly.

The room went quiet for a few moments. "Poor thing. No wonder she didn't want us to get caught." Sango looked up at the ceiling.

"Helping her helps us," said the older sibling.

"Hell. Helping us basically rescues her," muttered his younger brother, then sighed. "This is more complicated than we thought."

"There's no going back on it now," commented Sesshomaru.

"No way. Especially when we know what we'd be sending her back to." Sango was going to say more, when she heard the girl in question's name being said on the video tape. "What is all of this?"

"That American was making a tape to send to his family back in America. It's got his apartment, his job, his friends, things of that sort." The older sibling turned up the volume.

". . . sweetest little girl in the world," the tall, dark haired American was saying. He was standing in what looked like a park, with benches scattered about. The camera appeared to be mounted on a picnic table. "Here she is now."

"Uncle Miles! Uncle Miles!" A young girl ran into view and hurtled herself into the man's arms.

"There's my Kagome!" He lifted the girl into the air, spinning her around. The younger Kagome shrieked and giggled, kicking her feet. She was clad in a light blue dress and white shoes. When he stopped, instead of putting her down, he held her. "Have you been good while I was gone?"

"Yes. I was really good. You were gone so long! I missed you!" She kissed him on the cheek, and the man chuckled.

"I missed you too. And I'm sorry I stayed so long. But hope this will make up for it. I want to show you something."

The girl tilted her head to the side, curious. "You do?"

"Yes. I do." He disappeared from the shot for a moment, appearing to have ducked under the table, and returned a few seconds later, holding an antique looking doll. It had a pale face with dark hair and red lips. It wore a Victorian-style pink and white dress, with a bow in the back. He knelt next to the little girl, pulling her close to him. "This doll belonged to my grandmother. She got it when she was your age, but that was a long time ago."

"How long?"

The man chuckled. "Eighty years. That's a long time, wouldn't you say?"

The girl nodded. "That is a long time."

"Yes, it is. Would you like to hold her?"

The girl nodded again.

"Okay. But you have to promise to be careful."

"I will." The American put the doll in the child's arms and watched as the girl cradled it gently and touched its hair.

He smiled. "Do you like her?"

"Yes. What's her name?"

"I believe my grandmother called her Cassandra."

"Cassandra? What a funny name." The man laughed softly. "But it's pretty though."

"Well, Kagome, how would you like to keep Cassandra for me?"

The child's eyes lit up hopefully. "Can I?"

"Only if you promise to be careful with her."

"I will."

"And you have to keep her."

"I will."

"Now Kagome, I don't mean just for a year or two. I want you to keep Cassandra for a long time. When you grow up and get married, I want you to still have her."

"Get married? To a _boy_? Ewww."

The man laughed again. "Promise."

"I promise."

The man narrowed his eyes as if he didn't believe her. "Hmm. I don't know."

"Please? I'll keep her, and I'll be really really careful. I promise. Please?"

He hesitated. "Fine," he said finally. "You can keep her."

The girl beamed at him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you Uncle Miles!" She then turned and skipped to a nearby bench, sitting and talking to the doll like it was her best friend.

"You really shouldn't have, Miles." Another man, tall, thirty-something, and Japanese, strolled into the shot, hands in his pockets.

"I know. But I couldn't help it."

The girl looked up. "Daddy! Look what Uncle Miles gave me!" She held up the doll, eyes shining with delight.

The man walked over to his daughter. "I see. What's her name?"

"Her name is Cassandra! Isn't she pretty?"

"She is. But not as pretty as my little girl." He kissed her, and the girl beamed.

"Hey Kagome! What do you say, me, you, your daddy, and Cassandra go get some ice cream!"

"Yaaayyyy!" The girl jumped up, doll in tow, and ran to her 'uncle'. He picked her up and put her on his shoulders before turning off the camera.

The next shot was of a pink room.

"Nighttime at the Higurashi household," announced the American, then set the camera on what appeared to be a dresser. Mr. Higurashi walked into the shot, carrying his daughter. It was obviously the same day, for he was wearing the same clothes, and she had the doll.

"But I'm not sleepy," she whined as he put her into bed and tucked her in.

"I know. But you have to go to sleep," her father reasoned.

"I don't want to. I want to stay up with you and Uncle Miles." As she spoke, she rubbed her eyes with a small fist.

"Some other time," said Miles, standing next to her bed.

The girl sighed, pouting. "Okay." Then she smiled. "Tell me a story?"

Her 'uncle' chuckled. "Alright. Once upon a time. . ." He continued, telling her a story about a little girl much like herself. The girl, thought obviously tired, listened raptly until he finished. "The end," he concluded. "Now go to sleep." He tickled her a little, making her laugh.

"Not sleepy," she murmured, rubbing her eyes once again.

The two men chuckled. "I know," said Miles, touching her hair. "But the sooner you go to sleep, the sooner you wake up in the morning."

"Will you be back tomorrow?" she asked, settling back among her pillows.

"I'll try." He bent and gently kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Kagome."

"Goodnight, Uncle Miles."

"That's my job," her father whined, doing a quite decent imitation of his daughter.

"You snooze you lose," said the American with a shrug.

The girl shook her head. "You're so silly."

The two men laughed, and her father stepped forward, kissing his little girl. "Goodnight, Kagome."

"Goodnight Daddy." She hugged him before he arranged her sheets around her. He watched her close her eyes before turning off the light. Miles turned off the camera.

:-:

The four kidnappers never heard the door open, so it came as a surprise when they turned and saw Kagome standing in the door. She wasn't looking at them. Her eyes were glued to the televison screen, her expression pained. Sango quickly reached over and turned off the tape, for some reason feeling guilty. No one said a word. She just closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. After a moment, she opened her eyes and stepped into the room.

Leaning against the computer desk, Kagome appeared bored. "When do we leave?"

The others glanced at one another. "Now," said Sesshomaru finally. "Is this all you're taking?" He eyed the two suitcases and one bag on the floor next to her bed.

She nodded. "Yeah."

"And the rest?"

"Mom will probably send someone for it." She picked up her bag and purse.

Sesshomaru nodded, taking the tape from the VCR. "Lets go." The six of them picked up her luggage and left the room.

-

Question and answer time, my darlings.

A lot of you wanted to know why Kagome has to stay with them for a few months. Well, number one, Naraku's not going to accept the fact that she just disappeared right from under his nose. He's going to have people looking for her. So they're going to keep her with them at their country house and wait for things to die down, which could take a while when you're dealing with someone as dedicated as Naraku. And, besides that, they are going to be doing a little bit of. . . meddling now that they have the tape. And that's going to cause even more trouble. So, they're saying a few months, because that's how long they think it's going to take for things to calm down once everything's said and done.

AN: Wow. That is. . . Fifteen and a half pages. Yay for me! I know it brought about a few more questions than answers, but all in due time. There will be an answer for everything eventually. And besides, next chapter's going to be fun. There's going to be an argument, groping, and the suggestion of. . . maybe. . . a friendship or two? WOW! So if you want to know the deal with Kagome's 'family' (if you call that a family) you'll have to review!


	10. Truce

AN: Hmm. I have a few questions to go over.

1. _Are Kagome and Inuyasha going to get together? _Yes. But all in good time. Be patient. He's still working with the Kikyo thing, and Kagome still thinks he's a liar who only pretended to be interested in her to get the tape. These things take time to work out. But there will be a big, huge, gargantuan step forward in this chapter.

2. _What's the deal with the mom's boyfriend? _Hmm. You'll get more on him later, but basically he's a perverted pedofile type guy.

Well. That wasn't too painful, was it? I hope not. That last chapter sure was hell to write and I told you it'd confuse you more than anything else, but these things happen. And, because that last chapter was so. . . haphazard, I'm updating to try to clear some things up. Hmm? Make you feel better? Alright. On with the story.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own 'em. I'm kidnaping them one by one, but I don't own 'em.

**Chapter Ten: Truce**

Kagome frowned, staring out the window as they drove away from Doc's hotel. The day had not exactly gone as she had planned. It was all supposed to be relatively simple: a visit with her mother, a quick swing by her dorm, and that was it. She should have known that things wouldn't be that easy. She kept running that morning's events over in her mind, wondering if there was any way to have avoided some of the mishaps, but to no avail. She gave an annoyed sigh. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that the morning's events were inevitable. The day was destined to be exactly as it was, and there was nothing she could have done to change it.

To be perfectly honest, she wasn't in the best of moods. At first, she was angry with herself for allowing things to get so out of control so quickly. Even though she found out that it wasn't really her fault that things worked out the way they did, it really didn't make her feel any better. Kagome silently cursed herself for the twenty-fifth time that afternoon, trying to remember what she was so upset over. '_Well, I'm sitting in a car full of murderers,_' she thought, but that didn't really bothered her at all. She was sitting in a car full of murders that she knew nothing about, yet they knew quite a lot about her. They had seen a few of the more hideous skeletons from her closet be put on parade, and she knew basically nothing regarding them. They hadn't even known her for twenty-four hours, but they had knowledge about her that her closest friends couldn't even begin to fathom. _That_ is what unnerved her. She wasn't comfortable with it, but what could she do? Absolutely nothing. Zilch. Nada.

"We're here." The voice of her oldest kidnaper snapped Kagome out of her thoughts. The girl looked around. They were parked in the driveway of a three story house. "Get her bags." The silver-haired man ordered the boys. They obeyed without questioning him. Kagome silently followed the two teens with her luggage up the walkway. Sango ran ahead to unlock the door.

"Hurry it up already," said Inuyasha impatiently.

"Oh, is that bag too heavy for you? I could help, if you'd like," cooed Sango. She then opened the door and went in, followed by Miroku and an annoyed, amber-eyed boy.

Kagome stepped inside next and stared. It was so. . . _elegant_. There was no other word to describe the foyer she was standing. It was decorated in soft whites and royal blue. Pictures of the ocean graced the walls, framed in ebony. Blinking, the girl moved out of the doorway and slipped off her shoes, still gazing around in wonder. The furniture, which included a large cabinet, a white-upholstered bench, and a small table, were also ebony. It took her a few moments to find her voice.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, awestruck..

Sango looked around the room before nodding. "Yeah. I guess it is."

"Will you stop gawking like an idiot and come get your stuff?" Inuyasha snapped.

Kagome frowned but didn't reply, snatching her duffle bag from him and settling it on her shoulder. As she fixed the younger brother with a glare, Sesshomaru spoke briefly to Sango before leaving the room.

"Kagome," said the young woman, walking over to other teens, "Come on. We're going upstairs."

"I'll come too," added Miroku, a little to eagerly for the girls' tastes. "To help with the luggage, of course." He flashed them a boyishly charming smile.

Sango rolled her eyes. "Whatever." The two led Kagome to a truly magnificent staircase. The stairs themselves were covered with a very inviting fluffy white carpet. Iron curled into complex, yet delicate looking patterns, supporting the banister. "So, what do you think?"

"It's pretty," said the girl distractedly as they climbed. Sango waited for her to continue, but more words didn't come. She frowned. '_I thought we'd broken the ice already. Now what's wrong?_'she mused, resisting the urge to look back at the girl.

They reached the second floor moments later and continued down a hall to the second door on the right. Sango opened it without a second thought, entering and setting Kagome's things on the floor. The other two followed her example, putting down what they were carrying after stepping into the room. Kagome was slightly confused. '_What's going on?_'

Miroku stood with his hands behind his back, rocking on the balls of his feet and whistling softly. "Now what?" he asked after a moment, a slightly lecherous smile touching his lips.

"Now you leave," replied Sango, crossing her arms.

He started to protest. "But–"

"Now."

Miroku put a hand to his heart wearing a pained expression. "Sango, you wound me."

"Go."

"But Sango–"

"_Out_."

He gave a disappointed sigh, then gave a formal, yet flamboyant bow, complete with flourishes and all. "As you wish." Without rising, he backed from the room.

Sango closed the door with a roll of her eyes. She started away from the door, then turned around and locked it. "Just to be safe."

Kagome glanced at the door. "Does that happen a lot?"

"Sadly, it does. He's absolutely hopeless." She shook her head with a sigh before addressing the girl again. "You need to re-pack."

Kagome frowned slightly. "Re-pack?"

Sango nodded. "Yes. Just bring the things you'll absolutely need. Some clothes and stuff. Everything you don't pack will stay here."

"How much am I allowed to bring?"

"A small suitcase and an overnight bag."

"I'm supposed to fit three months' worth of clothes in a suitcase and a bag?"

Sango shrugged. "Sesshomaru said that you could buy anything else you needed once we got there, but for now, just the necessities."

"I won't even be able to fit enough clothes to last me a week," whined the girl, pouting slightly.

"Need a bit of advice?" offered Sango, stepping closer to Kagome, who eyed her warily before nodding. "Just take four of your favorite outfits, a toothbrush, and anything you think you can't live without. It's not that bad. Look on the bright side."

"What bright side?" asked the girl, beginning to unpack the suitcase.

"The less you bring, the more you get to shop for when we there."

"You're right." Despite swearing to be cautious of her kidnapers, Kagome smiled. '_Durn this friendly personality._'

"If you'd like, I'll help you after I finish packing my own things."

"You aren't already packed?"

"No. We didn't know there was anything to pack for."

Kagome blinked. "I would have thought Sesshomaru the type to plan out everything. From what I've seen of him, I mean."

"And you're right. He usually does, but this is very short notice."

"Short notice? "

Sango nodded, but decided not to say anything more. '_I've said enough as it is._'

Kagome, recognizing that she was to get nothing else out of her kidnaper, sighed and went back to unpacking her things.

The other girl crossed the room, opening the closet door and taking out a small suitcase and neatly folding clothes into it. She was done within fifteen minutes.

Kagome looked over at her. "Is that all you're taking?"

"I've got some clothes at the other house. This is just what I don't want to want to leave here."

The girl nodded, looking down at her clothes that were spread over the bed. "I honestly don't know what to take."

"Need help?"

"Please."

Sango smiled, taking a shirt from the other girl's suitcase. "Imagine that the house is on fire. What clothes would you try to save before the rest is burnt to a crisp?"

The kidnaper's method made things a little easier. Hours passed without either of them realizing it.

"Now that we're done with the outfits, we can get started on the . . . unmentionables," said Kagome.

Sango started to laugh. "Can't you just call them underwear?"

"Of course not. Underwear is such a common word. 'Unmentionables' is more. . ."

"Old fashioned?"

Kagome stuck her tongue out at her. "No. More sophisticated."

"Right." Sango picked up a blue pair that had 'Bite Me' written in red on the back. "_So_ sophisticated," she drawled sarcastically.

The girl laughed, snatching away her undergarments. At that moment, a knock sounded.

"I've got it," said Sango, crossing the room. "Who is it?"

"Me." It was Miroku.

"Go away."

"Sesshomaru sent me."

The two girl's eyes met before the kidnaper opened the door. "What?"

Miroku opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes drifted to Kagome, who was standing behind the underwear-covered bed, still holding her 'Bite Me' panties. He grinned, and the girl turned pink, stuffing the undies into a corner of the suitcase. Sango rolled her eyes, starting to close the door in his face. "Wait!"

"This had better be good."

"We're ordering lunch. Sesshomaru sent me to see what you wanted."

"Where are you ordering from?"

"That sandwich place down the street."

"Uh. . . the basil, cheese, and tomato for me. Kagome?"

The girl thought for a moment. "Turkey, cheese, and tomato. Grilled, please."

Miroku nodded, then smiled. "I must say that you have excellent taste, Kagome." The way his eyes were roaming the bed told her that he wasn't talking about food alone. Once again, she blushed.

"Out," ordered Sango, pushing him out the door and locking it once again. She rolled her eyes, sighing. "Pervert."

Kagome merely nodded, setting about packing once again. In another twenty minutes, they were done. "I didn't even need the overnight bag," said the girl happily.

Sango nodded. "See? That wasn't too hard, now was it?"

"Guess not."

"Lunch should be here soon. Want to head downstairs?"

"Sure." They set their luggage by the door before exiting the room and heading down the stairs. Kagome looked around, shaking her head. "This place is absolutely gorgeous."

"I'd think you would be used to it. Isn't your house nice too?"

"I guess it is, but it reeks of interior designers. This place has a more personal feel to it. Like it's not just for show, but people actually lived here and decorated it like this."

"I see what you mean." Once they reached the blue entrance hall, they exited it through a doorway to the left. The girls ended up in a beautiful kitchen. It was painted a yellow that was bright, but not overtly so. 'Sunny' was the word that came to Kagome's mind as she glanced about. The cabinets were an off white and looked antiqued. The counter tops were a creamy, almost pastel yellow color with metallic gold flakes throughout. Iron seemed to be the theme throughout the house, for as well as the stairs, the bar stools were iron. So were some of the wall decorations. There were splashes of red through the room including flowers, small appliances, and displayed china. The paintings on the wall were also a source of color. One that the girl liked in particular was of a woman who appeared to be dancing, wearing a red dress and holding a rose.

Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Miroku were sitting around the counter, doing nothing in particular.

"Ladies," said Miroku with a smile, standing and walking towards them, arms open as if expecting a hug.

Sango ignored him entirely and yet still seemed to dare him to touch her.

Kagome backed away slowly, but it wasn't enough. The dark haired young man wrapped his arms around her and she gave a small 'eep'. "What are you doing?" she cried, trying to back away once again, but he came with her, hugging her even tighter.

"You seemed overwhelmed. I am just trying to comfort you."

"Let me go!" She cried, slapping at him.

"But Kagome, I am merely offering emotional support."

Seemingly out of nowhere, there was a loud '_thwack_'. Miroku let the girl, seeming quite dazed and holding his head. Sango stood behind him, holding a rather large hard-cover book.

As he stumbled away, she gave a satisfied nod, setting the book on the table.

"I was just trying to help," muttered the boy, trying to figure out why Sango and her twin sister wouldn't stop dancing.

"I bet. We all know how you like to 'help'." She spared him one last disapproving glare before turning to the brothers. "Is the food here yet?"

"Nope. Should be here in a minute, though," replied the younger of the two. Sango sighed, plopping herself into a chair.

Kagome, who felt downright awful that Miroku had suffered yet another head injury because of her, remained standing next to him and shaking her head. "This one you brought upon yourself, Miroku."

He sighed, shrugging. "I'm just a very compassionate person."

Kagome rolled her eyes, but her pity for him won out over anger. "How's that lump from yesterday?" she asked gently.

He shrugged yet again. "I'm not sure. It feels better."

She walked closer to him and, after giving him a warning glare, motioned for him to bend lower. She gently ran her fingers through his hair, feeling his scalp. "Here's the one from just now," she muttered to herself, continuing to search for evidence of the massive lump that was on his cranium that morning. She found it moments later. It wasn't as big as it had been, but it was large by anyone's standards. She sighed, clicking her tongue softly. "I'm amazed that you're not unconscious from these."

"I'm used to it," he replied nonchalantly, then cleared his throat nervously when he met Kagome's deadpan stare.

"He's immune," agreed Sango from the kitchen table.

The other girl shook her head. "Do you mind if I get him some ice or something?"

"There's an ice pack in the freezer," said the female kidnaper, reaching for a magazine. Kagome went to get the pack and pressed to the more recently sprouted lump on the young man's head. The doorbell rang and Sesshomaru wordlessly left the room.

"Thank you," said Miroku gratefully.

The girl eyed him warily for a moment before nodding. "You're welcome," she said finally. "I guess it's the least I could do since these are my fault anyway."

"No they aren't. He deserved it," said Sango, looking up from her reading.

"And the first one?"

The other girl shrugged. "I'm sure he deserved that one too. And if he didn't, he'll make up for it eventually."

Kagome laughed softly, helping Miroku to a nearby chair.

"Kagome is so kind. I like her," he said with a grin as she fussed with the ice pack once again.

"Please. You like anything with fallopian tubes," muttered Sango, flipping a page in her magazine.

"She's right," agreed Inuyasha from the counter.

"What can I say? I'm a fan of females."

Kagome fixed him with another deadpan look. "You're pushing your luck," she said flatly.

"Right." The young man nodded obediently, sitting back in the chair and not saying another word.

Sesshomaru returned to the room, setting food-filled white paper bags on the table. Sango reached into one. "Who had the ham and Swiss?"

After the sandwiches were distributed, they ate in silence. Kagome was deep in thought. '_I guess things won't be too bad. Sango's nice, and a lot of fun. Miroku's okay too, if he keeps his hands under control. Sesshomaru never really says anything, so I don't think he'll be that bad either. That just leaves Inuyasha._' The girl gave a small sigh without realizing it. '_It's like it hurts him to even look at me._' She had stopped eating and was just staring into the space in front of her, wearing a look that told her kidnapers that she was no longer with them.

"Kagome?" Sango waved a hand in front of the girl's eyes. "Are you still here?" Kagome jumped, startled slightly. "Yeah. I'm here." She shook herself before taking another bite of her grilled sandwich.

Once they had finished, the five moved into the living room, which was painted a soft, sage green color. The furniture was all a warm, cherry wood. A fireplace was the main attraction in the room, despite a rather large television. The mantle was detailed and looked quite old. The fireplace itself looked to be made of marble with columns running along the sides up to the ceiling. Over the mantle was a large picture depicting a path in a forest. Kagome took a seat in an armchair situated away from the kidnapers. For a moment she thought Sesshomaru was going to make her move, but he didn't say anything about it.

"When do we leave?" asked Sango, seated on the couch with the boys.

"Midnight," replied the older brother, leaning against the mantle with his arms crossed.

From that point on, Kagome tuned out their conversation, hugging her legs to her chest and closing her eyes. Things certainly hadn't turned out as she had planned, but it seemed to be going alright nevertheless. Her current predicament was, like many other things, a mixed blessing. It wasn't as if she knew what she was getting herself into, but it had to be better than what would have awaited her at 'home'. The more she thought about it, the more she was glad things had turned out the way they did. Despite the ill intentions of others, she would be okay. Hopefully. She sighed, resting her head on her knees. After a few minutes, sleep claimed her.

Inuyasha looked over at the girl. She was sleeping. He just couldn't get over how much they looked alike. He shook himself. '_That's not her. Never was, never will be._' But no matter what he thought, his eyes told him otherwise. The youth sighed. '_Might as well get used to it,_' he thought. '_She's gonna be here for a while._'

:-:

Afternoon faded into dusk and dusk dwindled away into night. Kagome remained curled up in the chair, oblivious to anything but the extensive nothingness of sleep. The others milled about her aimlessly, waiting until they had to leave for the train station. Sesshomaru glanced at his watch. It was time, finally. He addressed his younger brother and the dark haired boy.

"Go get the luggage. We leave in ten minutes."

They nodded, leaving the room without a word. The silver-haired man then turned to Sango. "Wake her."

She did as she was told, gently shaking the girl's shoulder. "Kagome, wake up. It's time to go to the train station."

Kagome opened her eyes, blinking sleepily. "What time is it?"

"Nearly eleven. Come on. The guys are getting the luggage."

She allowed her newfound friend to help her stand. Shaking herself to clear her head of sleep, the girl stretched and followed her kidnappers out of the house.

"How long is this train ride, again?" she asked.

"Four hours," replied Sango, unlocking the car doors. They stood there, making light, playful conversation until the other three came outside.

Once the house was locked, they loaded the luggage into the trunk and got into the car. Inuyasha sat up front.

"May I sit next to you, Kagome?" asked Miroku, smiling charmingly.

She chuckled nervously. "Uh, sure. I don't see why not." The youth grinned. "That is, if you can behave yourself," she added sternly.

"Why Kagome, I would never even consider doing anything remotely indecent," he said, looking quite innocent.

Kagome frowned, but allowed him to get into the car. She was situated in between him and Sango. For a brief moment, she wondered if she had made the wrong decision.

They had been driving for nearly ten minutes when the girl felt _something_ sliding up her leg. She then felt that _something_ start to stroke her hip. She squealed, smacking the young man next to her. "Miroku!"

"What? I was trying to find my seatbelt!"

Kagome calmed a bit, and was about to apologize when she realized something. "You're already wearing your seatbelt," she ground out through clenched teeth, her eyes glinting dangerously.

"Oh. Uh. . . you don't say." Miroku chuckled uneasily. She growled and smacked him once again for good measure. "I'm sorry, Kagome. My hand has a mind of its own. I swear."

"I bet it does." The girl rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and looking out the window. Sango gave a satisfied nod, not suppressing the urge to smirk. "Serves you right, pervert."

Miroku merely sighed, not responding.

The rest of the ride passed in silence, with the occasional glare that promised a fate worse than death from both girls any time the boy between them moved.

It wasn't a long drive. They arrived at the station half an hour before the train was scheduled to depart like good passengers. They set their bags on the conveyer belt to be taken to the storage compartment of the train and waited for the call telling them to board.

The call came ten minutes before midnight. All was running according to schedule, for which the girl and her kidnappers were grateful. They boarded without a problem, finding their seats and starting to get comfortable. The girl was just about to sit down.

"Kagome." It was the older silver-haired brother. She blinked, startled. It shocked her to hear him call her by name. He walked a little ways away from the others, gesturing for her to follow. She did so, mind whirling a mile a minute. '_What's going on?_' she thought, confused. They continued to walk down the train in silence for a few moments. The amber-eyed man finally stopped and closed a wooden floor-to-ceiling divider with a soft _click_, separating them from the others. There was no one else in that section of the train. He turned to her, but said nothing, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in what would have seemed to be a leisurely manner, had it not been for the look in his eyes. A look that reminded the girl of a large animal waiting for the ideal moment to pounce. For the longest he just stood, studying her shrewdly. His gaze made her quite nervous, to say the least.

After another long moment of silence, he spoke. "Kagome. I am not one to beat around the bush. On more than one occasion since our. . . meeting, I have had the feeling that there is something missing. Something about. . .our situation in general that doesn't seem right." He straightened in one fluid, graceful movement, adding to Kagome's vision of a predator. He took a step forward, then another and another until he was little more than a yard away from her. She swallowed nervously, not speaking. "Is there something you are not telling me? Something that could possibly be of importance regarding our delicate situation?" The girl edged away slightly, shaking her head wordlessly. "Are you sure? For this would be the opportune moment to tell me of any such information."

Kagome licked her lips. Her mouth was suddenly dry. She cleared her throat before speaking. "I don't know what you're talking about." She tried to sound normal, as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on, but her voice came out breathy and scared.

Sesshomaru smirked, advancing another step. "Is that so?"

"Yes." Once again, the girl tried to back away.

The man frowned, not stepping forward, but leaning in slightly so that his gaze met hers. "I do not take kindly to being lied to."

Her lips worked wordlessly for a moment before her voice decided to kick in. "I-I told you. I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm n-not lying." she repeated, stammering slightly.

"Oh? Then if you are telling the truth and you really don't know what I'm talking about, then why are you so nervous? Have I done anything to frighten you?" Once again, he stepped forward. The young woman tried to step away, but found her back pressed against a wall. "N-no," she started slowly.

"Then why are you so anxious?"

"Y-you're just an intimidating person, I s-suppose."

"Am I?" The silver-haired man gave a humorless chuckle and stepped even closer. "Don't play dumb. It doesn't become you." Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her with an irritated movement of his hand. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You are trying to take us for fools, of that I am certain."

"Look. I don't know–"

"Yes you do." His voice was a low, angry growl. "Our lives are on the line, here. Not that I expect you to care, of course, but judging by that little predicament with your family–"

The fear in the girl's gaze was soon replaced by anger. "You don't know anything about my family's 'little predicament'."

"You're right about that. I don't know, and I don't particularly care. But I do know that it would benefit you to try to assist us in any way possible so that you don't have to stay with your mother and Kaoru." He saw the fear flash briefly in her eyes before being covered with even more anger.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about," she said through clenched teeth, trembling with some mixture of emotions that even she couldn't sort out.

"Don't I? That is why you helped us, isn't it? So you wouldn't have to stay with them?"

The girl didn't respond at first, lowering her head in defeat. "What do you want me to say?" she asked finally.

"Tell me what you're hiding."

"I can't." Her voice was tearful.

On some level, granted a very, _very _deep level far below the surface, Sesshomaru didn't like his bringing up a subject that so obviously pained the girl, but he had a reason. He knew that she was hiding something. Something that could make or break their already unstable plans. He had realized it earlier that day. She was too shrewd, too calculating. From early on, she had been planning with knowledge that they needed, but only she had. "You're hiding something that could be vital to our success. We both know it. The sooner you tell me, the easier things might be."

The girl shook her head sadly, and looked up at him with eyes that held a mixture of grief, anger, and just plain helplessness. "I don't know what you're talking about." She pushed past him, trying to get back to her seat.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in irritation. He caught her wrist and pulled her away from the divider. His grip on her arm was tight, almost bruising as he pinned her arm behind her, forcing her against the back of a seat. "Know this," he hissed, inches away from her ear. "If things go wrong and Naraku finds out what our plans were, our lives will be forfeit. But so will yours, in case you've forgotten. Remember that next time you decide to keep secrets." He released her suddenly and watched as she stumbled towards the divider, opening it with trembling fingers. She glanced over her shoulder at him, and he saw the blatant fear in her eyes. Yes. Once again, on that very deep level, he was berating himself for scaring the girl so badly, but it had to be done. She had to be reminded that they were playing a game of Russian roulette, and that her kidnappers weren't the only ones with guns to their heads. Although he didn't get the needed information out of her, his efforts weren't totally fruitless. He needed to remind the girl of the seriousness of the tasks at hand. He had, even though he'd given her a bit of a scare. Sesshomaru sighed and started towards the divider. He wanted to survive this ordeal. If living to see another year after all was said and done meant being a cold, ruthless bastard, then he was prepared to be the most cold and ruthless of them all. '_What has to be done has to be done,_' he thought, folding the divider against the wall. He returned to his seat, ignoring the curious stares of his accomplices.

:-:

Sango watched curiously as Sesshomaru beckoned Kagome to follow him and closed off that section of the train. She exchanged confused glances with Inuyasha and Miroku. "Can you hear what they're saying?" she whispered to Inuyasha. He shook his head. She turned to Miroku, raising her eyebrows hopefully.

He too shook his head. "Not a word."

They could, however, hear the low murmuring of voices coming from the divider. They were quiet and calm and continued that way for a bit, but then the voices began to sound angry. Sango sighed. Although they had gotten a bit louder, she still couldn't hear what was being said.

Abruptly, the voices stopped, or so she thought. Second later, Kagome emerged, looking quite shaken. Sesshomaru followed moments after and sat in his seat, looking as calm and collected as ever. The girl looked back to her new friend. She seemed very frightened. She was even trembling slightly. Sango went to sit next to her.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly.

The girl nodded. "I'm fine."

Obviously she wasn't fine, but Sango decided not to press the issue.

After a minute or so, Kagome stood. "Where's the bathroom?" she asked quietly.

"Right through there. First door on the left," replied Sango, frowning worriedly. The girl nodded, and started in the direction that her friend indicated, but glancing at Sesshomaru, slightly frightened. She was waiting for him to make Sango go with her, but he didn't say anything. He merely met her stare with a level one of his own. The two's gazes interlocked. No one said a word. After a moment, the girl turned and left for the bathroom, appearing very glad to leave. There was a second of silence.

"What was that about?" asked Inuyasha, sitting up in his seat raptly.

In a neutral tone, the older brother told them, more or less, what had transpired between him and the girl. No one spoke when he finished. They didn't know what to say.

Finally, Miroku broke the silence. "But she basically admitted that she was hiding something."

"I suppose you could say that," replied Sesshomaru nonchalantly.

Sango found her voice next. "She was very secretive. And she did act strangely, as if we were all just part of her scheme."

"That could have just been the thing with her mom," suggested Inuyasha with a shrug.

"I could agree with you there, if she hadn't admitted that she knew something," replied Miroku.

"When did she admit it?"

"She basically said that she knows something, but can't tell us."

"Or won't tell us," added Sesshomaru, voice monotone as usual.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Nah. I think whatever she knows, she thinks she can't tell us."

"But why?" asked Miroku, frowning thoughtfully.

"Good question," muttered Sango, thinking.

Their compartment went silent as they all tried to puzzle out the girl's bizarre behavior.

After a few minutes, Inuyasha swore. "It's always one thing after the next with her," he grumbled, crossing his arms.

"What do you mean?" asked Sango curiously.

"There's always something she's doing that we don't know why she's doing it. Like this morning. That phone call to her mom."

"But we know what that was about," interrupted Miroku.

"Yeah, but not 'til after the fact. We didn't know anything about it until we got there."

"And we weren't even supposed to know then," said Sango quietly.

They all turned to look at her. "What do you mean?" asked Sesshomaru, leaning forward slightly in his chair.

"She told me, when we were in her dorm room, that she hadn't expected him to show up."

"What?" asked Inuyasha, slightly confused.

"She said that she hadn't known that he would be there. The mom's boyfriend. It was just by chance that he showed up. If he hadn't we really wouldn't know why she helped us."

"So she didn't want us to know why," concluded Miroku thoughtfully.

"Well, can you blame her?" asked Inuyasha shifting slightly in his seat. "If you were in her situation, what would you say? 'Oh, I don't want you to get caught because if you do I'll be spending months with my mom's boyfriend who feels me up on occasion'?"

"He does have a point," muttered Sango, frowning once again. They lapsed into silence once again.

"It would appear that she only pulled the thing with her mother this morning because she didn't want to stay with that Kaoru guy," mumbled Inuyasha softly. "It wasn't like she didn't tell us because it would ruin her secret plans or whatever. She just didn't want us to know about it."

"It is a very private matter," agreed Sesshomaru with a nod.

Sango blinked as realization came over her. "She's ashamed."

They all stared at her once again. "I mean, when I said that she hadn't planned on him showing up, she actually apologized for it. Like she was sorry that we had to see it. Sorry that we found out. She's ashamed that he does. . . whatever he does." She shuddered at the thought.

"So basically, we're saying that the reason for her earlier suspicious behavior was caused by her not wanting us to find out about that. . . man." Sesshomaru couldn't keep the repulsion from his voice. "Perhaps she is withholding this information for a similar reason?"

They all nodded.

"That's the best thing we've got to go on so far," said Sango with a sigh.

Inuyasha stretched, looking at the ceiling. "Geez. The more we find out about her, the more complicated things end up."

"And judging by what just happened when Sesshomaru talked to her, there's more about her that we don't know."

"Our own little enigma," muttered the older brother with a mirthless laugh.

There was yet another short silence.

"Hey Sesshomaru?" asked Inuyasha after a moment. His sibling made a neutral sound in the back of his throat. Inuyasha took that as his cue to continue. "Why didn't you send Sango after her this time?"

He didn't reply for a few seconds. "I only sent Sango to make sure that she doesn't try anything rash, like running away. I'm sure that she won't now, for she needs us as much as we need her, if not more," he replied finally. The four of them nodded. Now that they'd puzzled out some of 'their little enigma', they knew that he was telling the truth.

:-:

Kagome stood in the bathroom, taking deep breath after deep breath. '_How does he know?_' she kept thinking. How did Sesshomaru know that she was indeed hiding something from them? Something that was possibly vital? She cursed herself. The entire time he had spoken with her, she knew precisely what he was talking about. And she knew that it was in fact very important to their plans, but she couldn't make herself tell him. She just couldn't. It would hurt too much. Kagome inhaled slowly. '_He knows that there's something that I'm not telling him, though, and I doubt he'll just forget about it._' She looked at her reflection in the smudged mirror. '_Damn. I'm going to have to be more careful._' The girl then sighed. It was no use. She'd tried being 'more careful' that afternoon, and it landed her with a new friend named Sango. '_I guess there's no plan of action for this one. I'll just have to take it as it comes._' With that figured out, the girl then splashed a bit of water on her face before returning to her seat.

As soon as she saw her oldest kidnapper, she could tell that something was different. There was the slightest hint of understanding in his eyes, as well as tolerance. There was a slight difference in the others' faces too. What had happened while she was gone?

She blinked, slightly confused, before shaking herself and sitting down next to her friend. She and Sango chatted about nothing in particular for a while before the other girl announced that she was going to sleep. A few minutes later, Miroku decided to rest as well, as did Sesshomaru. Kagome frowned. Before she knew it, only she and Inuyasha were up. '_Great_' she thought bitterly, rolling her eyes. She curled up in a ball, wishing she'd bought a jacket with her.

As if reading her thoughts, the boy spoke. "There are blankets overhead." She gave him a blank stare, saying nothing, but getting the blanket overhead anyway. The youth continued. "And if you're still cold, you can close your vent–"

"Thank you," she said frostily, cutting him off.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "That's what I get for trying to be civil," he muttered.

"Ooh. Civil. That's a first."

"I wasn't talking to you." He knew as soon as the words left his lips that he shouldn't have spoken.

There was a spark of anger in the girl's eyes. "Oh. Excuse me. I'm _so _sorry. But just to be safe, keep your sarcastic remarks to yourself so we don't have this mix-up next time, hmm?" She gave him a very scary smile.

Inuyasha, being the way he was, let his temper get the best of him. "Look. I don't know what's wrong with you, but–"

"Whoa. Wait a second," interrupted the girl. "What's wrong with me?"

"Yeah. In case you didn't know, normal people don't bite other people's heads off when they're only trying to be polite."

"For the first time all day."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't you swear at me!"

At her shrill tone of voice, Inuyasha looked around. The others were still asleep. "Keep your voice down," he whispered sharply.

"Don't tell me what to do," she snapped, but she too was whispering.

"Look, wench,–"

"My name isn't wench! It's Kagome!"

Inuyasha ignored her. "I'm not going to argue with you."

"Well it looks like it's a little too late for that."

The youth swore to himself. "Why me? Out of all the girls in the world, why did I just _have_ to chat with you?"

"Not like you had a choice. You were just getting the job done, weren't you? Well you've got the tape and I'm stuck here, so you can stop being 'polite'. You did your job," the girl fired back.

Inuyasha blinked. "What?"

"I'm going to sleep." She turned her back to him and settled the blanket around herself angrily.

"Wait," started the amber-eyed young man.

"Just drop it."

"No." The force in the boy's voice made her turn over and look at him curiously. "Is that what you think? You thought I was on a job when I talked to you?"

The girl frowned, but spoke. "Well it makes perfect sense."

Inuyasha shook his head. "That's not how it happened."

"Yeah, right."

"I'm serious. I'd been talking to you for a while before we knew about the thing with the tape. We didn't even find out that Naraku wanted the damn thing until a few nights ago."

Kagome's frown deepened. '_So that's what Sango meant when she said that it was all short notice._' After a moment, she spoke. "So, it wasn't just a job?" she asked hopefully.

"Nuh uh."

"You actually wanted to chat with me?"

Inuyasha made a point to avoid her gaze, putting his hands in his pocket sheepishly. "Well, yeah," he said nonchalantly.

The girl seemed troubled by something. "But if you liked talking to me, then why did you act like that when we met?" Inuyasha's mouth worked silently. '_Damn,_' he thought, trying to find a way to explain to her. "What was it? Am I not pretty enough for you or something?"

"No. That's not it." The boy cursed himself every way he knew how. "Damn idiot," he said to himself, but she heard.

"Oh. So I'm an idiot. That's why." He could tell that she was trying to stay angry, but her voice was trembling.

"No. Not you. Me. I'm an idiot. It's nothing about you, I swear–"

"Then why do you act like you can't stand the sight of me?"

'_Because I can't,_' he thought, but caught himself before he said it. "It isn't you."

"Yes it is." A tear crept its way down her cheek.

Inuyasha felt just plain awful when he saw that one drop of moisture trek down her face. It was soon followed by others. The girl turned away, but he could hear a soft, barely audible sob. "Come on. Please. Don't cry."

"I'm not crying," she snapped, then sniffled.

"Kagome." The girl blinked. That was the first time she'd heard him say her name. She looked at him through tearful blue-grey orbs. Seeing that he had her attention, he continued. "It's not what you think."

"Then what is it?"

"It's nothing."

"It's gotta be something for you to act like my friend over the internet and then..." he voice wavered slightly, and she sniffed again.

"Honestly. It has nothing to do with you." He debated for a moment, then went on. "You see, you look a lot like a. . . uh. . . friend of mine. Well, they used to be a friend."

"Yeah right. You're lying."

"I'm serious."

The girl studied him for a moment, wiping her eyes. "So let me get this straight. I look like a friend of yours that you're mad at right now, right?"

"Yeah. I guess you can put it that way."

The girl was silent for a while, with the exception of the occasional sniffle. "So," she said after a few minutes, "this friend was a woman."

"I-I never said that!" sputtered Inuyasha frantically.

The girl frowned up at him thoughtfully. "Well, are you saying that I look a lot like a man?" she asked, looking insulted. When the young man tried to fix his mistake, she laughed softly. "I'm just kidding." She turned and looked out the window next to her. "We're going so fast," she murmured as the landscape whizzed by.

"I guess so," he said with a nod.

There was another long space of quiet, but unlike the first, it was companionable.

It was Kagome who broke their silence. "Inuyasha?"

"Hmm?"

"You and this friend. You two were close?" He turned with every intention of bitting her head off about minding her own business, but saw that she wasn't looking at him. She was still staring out the window. Her eyes seemed distant, as if she was in her own thoughts even though she had just spoken to him.

"Yeah. We were."

"Then I'm sorry you two aren't friends any more."

Inuyasha met her eyes in their reflection displayed by the window. Despite how odd or completely random her apology was, she seemed sincere. He didn't respond, but looked past her into the night sky.

After a few minutes, Kagome seemed to realize that he was still standing there. "Oh. You can sit down if you like." She moved over a seat. He regarded her warily, and she laughed. "I'm not going to yell at you. I promise."

He snorted. "That's a first."

"Hey. You were mean to me earlier too."

"Yeah. I was being mean, and you were being a bitch." The youth couldn't help but laugh as the girl's mouth formed a small 'o' of surprise.

Her lips worked wordlessly for a bit before she found her voice. "I can't believe you just called me a. . ." she faltered.

"Say it. 'Bitch'."

"Of course I won't," she replied, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"And this is from the girl who told me to shove a flagpole up my ass."

He watched the girl become flabbergasted. "I-I-I never said. . . when did I supposedly say that?" she demanded, eyes wide with disbelief. Inuyasha told her of what happened after Doc arrived at the Alabaster Suite. He didn't even try to keep himself from laughing at the horrified expression on her face. "I said that?" The boy nodded, still laughing too hard to speak. "Stop it! Stop laughing! That's not funny! It's. . . just awful!"

"Well you said it."

"B-but I was heavily drugged!"

"Uh huh," said Inuyasha sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "No excuses. You said it, and you can't deny it. Don't try that whole propriety thing with me."

The girl could say nothing to say. "I can't believe I said that. And in front of everybody!"

"What difference does it make?"

"Maybe it doesn't make a difference to you, but it matters to me."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him. "Jerk."

"Bitch." Inuyasha chuckled as the girl's mouth worked wordlessly. "Face it. I'd win the name calling contest. I've got the bigger vocabulary."

"That's only because I'm being polite."

"Even if I told you not to be polite, you wouldn't do it anyway."

The way that she crossed her arms and looked away, not responding, told him that he was right.

"Snob," he muttered.

"Ingrate."

"Wench."

"Wretch."

"Blue-blood wannabe."

"Simple minded fiend."

"High-bred tramp."

"Foul-mouthed freak."

"You should be one to talk." He could tell that she was still embarrassed about what she'd said while inebriated.

"Oh come on. You can't hold me accountable for saying that. I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Whatever." They remained quiet for a few minutes. "Who is it we're supposed to be visiting?"

"What?"

"Your mom said that you had to go see someone while you're out here."

"Oh. My aunt Kaede and Souta."

"Souta?"

"My kid brother."

"Oh. The runt you told me about."

"Don't call him a runt. Only I can do that."

"Keh."

"But anyway, yeah. They live way out there. In the suburbs."

"What subdivision?"

"Uh. . . I think it's called Sunako Heights?"

"That's about a half hour from the house."

"So I can go see them?"

"I don't think Sesshomaru will see anything wrong with it."

"Great. I haven't seen Souta in the longest."

"I don't see what you're so happy about."

"Well, you get to see your brother every day. You live with him."

"So why don't you and the brat live together?"

After glaring at him for calling her brother names, she replied. "We can't."

"You can't?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"One of us had to stay with mom." She then braced herself for the question she knew he would ask.

Inuyasha, for once in his life, tried to be tactful. "Well, since things are. . . the way they are with your mom and her boyfriend, why didn't you go stay with your aunt?"

She shook her head. "Things are the way they are for a reason."

He took that as his cue to shut up.

Kagome was surprised that he didn't ask any more questions, but grateful nonetheless.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked after a few moments.

Inuyasha stiffened. He didn't want to know what she was going to ask, but it was the least he could do after prying into her 'family affairs'. "Yeah."

"How long have you guys been doing this whole 'life of crime' thing?"

The youth sighed. "Seven years."

"Seven years? So you've been at it since you were ten?"

"I wasn't killing people at ten years old, if that's what you think," he snapped, irritated. "We started small. First we were decoys. Then we ran errands. Then, the older we got, the bigger the jobs got."

"Oh."

Inuyasha looked over at the girl. She was looking down at her hands, but what surprised him was that she didn't appear appalled or disgusted. She actually looked quite understanding.

"You're a weird wench."

"Hey! I'm not a–"

"I know." He laughed softly. "You're not a wench. But you're still weird."

"What makes you say that?"

"It doesn't bother you that you've gotta spend the next few months with a house full of murderers."

The girl shrugged. "Well, you guys aren't trying to kill me, are you?"

"No. We're trying to save you, stupid."

She disregarded the 'stupid' comment. "Then it's fine with me. I mean, I don't approve of killing people, but you have to do what you have to do. And besides. I highly doubt you all just woke up one morning and decided to be murderers. It's probably a circumstantial thing, so I really can't be too upset over it." He just looked at her. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing." He couldn't believe how she hit the nail right on the head. But then again, she spoke as if she had some experience with 'circumstantial things'.

She went quiet for a few moments once again. "But what about Miroku and Sango?"

He hesitated for a moment before responding. "We didn't run into them for a few years. But I don't know how long they've been at it."

"It never occurred to you to ask?"

"Nope."

"Okay," she said slowly, nodding. She still didn't understand why, but decided to leave it alone for the time being. Finally she sighed. "Poor Miroku."

"What? Poor _Miroku_?"

"Well, yeah."

"Why?"

"Think about it. At the rate things are going, he'll be in a coma before too long."

Inuyasha couldn't help it. He laughed.

Kagome grinned at him. "Well, it's true."

"Yeah," he wheezed once he'd caught his breath somewhat.

"Was he always like that?"

"You mean a lech? Yeah. Always was and always will be."

"Maybe not. Some people can change."

"Yeah. Some people, but not him."

The girl sighed, still smiling. "I don't see how Sesshomaru deals with all of you."

"He doesn't, really. He ignores us for the most part."

She laughed softly. "Does he?"

"Yeah. Doesn't pay us any more attention than he needs to."

For some reason, it didn't sound all that unreasonable. She could imagine that cold, impersonal man going about his business, paying no mind whatsoever to the antics of his younger accomplices. "I can imagine."

Inuyasha paused for a moment. "You mean, you're not upset with him for what happened earlier?"

She glanced at him. "Not really. He did what he had to do. No hard feelings."

The youth frowned in thought. She was a very forgiving young woman.

The girl yawned. "What time is it?" she asked finally, realizing how late it could possibly be.

"Twenty past two."

"Wow." She honestly didn't expect to stay up so late talking to him.

"Get some sleep." He stood and got a blanket, then went to the seat across from hers, reclining in it.

"Don't tell me what to do. Besides, you've gotta sleep too."

"I'm used to getting a few hours of sleep."

The girl looked at him. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"So go to sleep."

"Don't tell me–"

"Geez, woman. Fine. Do what you want." He pulled his blanket over his head.

There was silence for a few seconds, then:

"Inuyasha?"

He growled, snatching the blanket off his face. "What?"

"So you and me. We're okay now?"

He saw the hopeful look in her eyes and sighed. "Yeah. We're okay."

"Good. Being mad at you took up too much energy."

He couldn't stifle a chuckle. "Go to sleep Kagome."

She gave an annoyed sigh, but he could tell that it was all for show. "Fine. Goodnight, Dogboy." He didn't respond. "I said goodnight," she repeated, irritated.

"Keh. Fine, wench. Goodnight."

Kagome laughed, then turned over, going to sleep.

AN: Whew! Seventeen pages! I'm sorry if there's anything terribly wrong with this chapter. I proofread it, but I'm not exactly in my right state of mind right now, so. . . whatever. I'm so so so so so so so SOOO sorry for waiting so long to update. I'm so terribly, TERRIBLY SORRY! At first it was just school that kept me from updating, then this hurricane. (Sigh) My town is totally demolished. The buildings, the schools, the houses, gone. We just got power and water a few days back, but even so, my mom's job is totally destroyed, so I may have to move with her to Vermont or somewhere, while my dad and brother stay here. (Groans) Truly amazing. My friend's neighborhood is ruined, and she had to move to Nevada. My other friends are in Arkansas, New York, Alabama, and various other places. It really is truly amazing how one day. . . Heck, not even a day. Thirteen hours. In thirteen hours, your entire life can just fall apart. Sorry. Just venting. (Sigh) But you guys are still here. still up and running, and I'm still going to update (more frequently, now that the school's screwed up) to make you guys happy. I hope that anyone else involved in this dreadful hurricane is alright. Goodbye for now.

Lady Orchid.


	11. Friends?

AN: Okay. I'm only doing this for you, Sean, so that you'll stop hounding me. And because I'm bored. I'm supposed to be updating TTTL, but noooo. I _have_ to update UC. Fine. I'm updating. See? Does that make you happy?

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own 'em. When I do, I'll let ya'll know.

**Chapter Eleven: Friends?**

Darkness. It was all Inuyasha could see when he opened his eyes. He resisted the urge to roll over and go back to sleep, instead checking his watch. '_Three thirty._' There was still half an hour before they were supposed to arrive. Plenty of time to sleep. The youth sighed. "Not like it'll do me any good," he muttered, then stood and stretched. After he had worked all the stiffness from his back and shoulders, he glanced around. '_Sango's still asleep. So is Miroku. And Kagome..._' He studied the still slumbering girl. Her blanket was pulled up to her chin. If he looked closer, which indeed he did, the youth could see her ebony lashes resting on the pale skin of her cheek. As if she felt his gaze, the girl shifted in her sleep, snuggling the blanket closer around her. A lock of hair fell across her closed eyes.

He still wasn't sure what had occurred between them earlier. Although unable to explain why, he couldn't stay angry with the girl. He replayed their conversation in his head, frowning. '_What the hell?_' he asked himself angrily. At what point during their conversation did things change? When she'd accused him of using their internet exchanges as a means to an end? Or was it when she had started to cry? At exactly what point she had gotten to him, he wasn't sure, but he _was_ certain that she'd done a decent job of getting under his skin. '_Damn her,_' he thought, scowling angrily at the girl's sleeping form.

"How sweet"

Inuyasha started, whirling around to see his older brother's eyes glinting in the darkness. '_Dammit! Why didn't I see him earlier?_' "Fuck off," he mumbled, and, without another word, stalked off to their compartment's restroom to scowl at the young man in the mirror. By the time he returned, a few minutes later, Sesshomaru was on the phone and Sango and Miroku had awakened. Kagome was still in the same position as she had been when he left.

"Wake her," said Sesshomaru to no one in particular before resuming his conversation.

"I'll do it," suggested Miroku in that all-too-eager way of his.

"No you won't," stated Sango, shaking her head.

"Why not?"

"Because she doesn't need to be felt up in her sleep."

"I wouldn't do any such thing, Sango. You know that."

"Yeah right. You're not touching her."

They went on back and forth and back and forth for what seemed like an eternity before Inuyasha sighed, deciding to take matters into his own hands. Kneeling next to the slumbering girl, he gave her shoulder a shake. "Kagome." She merely snuggled further into her blanket and ignored him. "Kagome," he said again, "Wake up."

After a few moments of coaxing, the young woman opened her eyes sleepily.

She seemed confused at first, then realized where she was. "Are we there?" she asked groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"Nah, we've got about," Inuyasha checked his watch, "twenty minutes."

"Mm k." She took a deep breath and shook herself. "G'mornin'."

"Morning. Now get up." He yanked the blanket off of her and was putting it away before she could even think to respond.

"Hey," she whined indignantly. "I was using that."

"You were. Now you're not. Get up."

"You're mean," she mumbled, and stretched.

He snorted, rolling his eyes. "You'll get over it."

The girl stuck her tongue out at him, then grinned. "Sleep well?"

"Alright, I guess. You?"

Kagome shrugged. "Fine."

Inuyasha nodded, then frowned. It had just dawned on him that their cabin had gone miraculously quiet. He glanced over at his other companions to find them gawking at the two of him. Even Sesshomaru had elegantly raised an eyebrow in their direction. Kagome, who had followed his gaze, flushed from the unwanted attention.

"What?" Inuyasha demanded, irritated.

"Wow," Miroku breathed.

Sango nodded in agreement. "I can't believe it," she said in awe. "They're actually being civil."

Inuyasha gave a soft "keh" and shifted uncomfortably, while Kagome busied herself with watching the passing scenery.

"Am I the only one who gets the feeling that we missed something?" asked the blue-eyed young man.

"Nope. I'm with you on this one." '_What happened while we were asleep?_' Sango wondered curiously, then vowed to question Kagome about it once they were alone.

"Get your things," ordered Sesshomaru. "We'll be arriving shortly."

Kagome gave a slight frown. "But I thought we had–" she started slowly.

"We're early," the oldest interjected, silencing her. Sure enough, the train slowed, then stopped a few minutes later. As they disembarked, the girl sighed. '_I never was the sort to just go along with the crowd and not ask questions. That was more like Souta._' She gave a dry chuckle. '_He'd probably love this. He'd think of it as a big adventure, and never question what was going on or why._' They reached the baggage claim and waited for their luggage to come around. '_I suppose I should just shut my trap. I mean, Sesshomaru seems to know what he's doing and probably doesn't need me questioning him all the time. They are trying to keep me alive, after all. The least I could do is not make it hard for them._'

Several minutes later, with their luggage in tow, the five of them exited the train station. The sky was still dark for the most part, but the first tendrils of dawn could be seen on the horizon. They made their way to a family-sized pearl-colored car and loaded their things into the trunk. Once finished, Kagome contemplated where she wanted to sit in the car.

As if reading her mind, Miroku made a suggestion. "If you'd like, you could sit in my lap, Kagome. I wouldn't mind."

Inuyasha snorted.

"You wish," said Sango, rolling her eyes. "Here. Come sit with me." It ended up with Sesshomaru driving, Inuyasha riding shotgun, and Miroku, Sango, and Kagome in the back. They rode on in silence until an outburst came from the back seat.

"I swear, Miroku, if you don't quit..."

"Quit what, Sango dearest?"

_Thunk_. Miroku 'fell asleep'. Sango gave a satisfied nod at her handiwork, then pulled out a book. She offered Kagome a magazine, but the girl declined, instead choosing to amuse herself by gazing out at the passing scenery. They drove on that way for an hour and a half before they reached their destination.

Kagome couldn't help staring in awe. It had to be at least twice the size of her house, which was by no means small. The dwelling boasted three stories, a set of majestic, oak double-doors, and a large front porch that peeked out from between strategically placed columns. The grounds were tastefully landscaped with trees, shrubs, walkways, and flowerbeds, reminding her of a huge garden. A lake with a pier could be seen behind the house. They coasted into the long driveway, but were eventually blocked by a large iron gate. Sesshomaru pulled up to a small box and pushed a few buttons, causing the barrier to swing open, before continuing on to the massive structure.

"Miroku." Sango smacked him. "Wake up. We're here." She finally seemed to notice her friend's flabbergasted expression. "Oh come on, Kagome. It's not that big."

The girl shook herself and turned pink, embarrassed to be caught staring.

Inuyasha was already out of the car and unloading the luggage. He handed Kagome her suitcase.

"Thanks," she said, giving him a slight grin.

"Whatever."

Her smile disappeared so quickly that it was hard to believe it was there in the first place. "Jerk." She turned to walk off. After a few paces, she heard him respond.

"Wench."

Instead of fueling her temper, his insult reminded her of their name-calling game from the night before. She fought the urge to chuckle. "Dimwit," she retorted.

"Hag."

"Asshole."

A smirk so slight that the girl thought she had imagined it graced his lips.

"Bitch."

Kagome made a face at him, then turned and walked off, but he could see her shoulders shaking with stifled laughter.

The other three exchanged puzzled looks.

"Yup. We definitely missed something," muttered Sango, jogging to catch up with her friend.

The others leisurely made their way to the front door, where the girls were already deep in conversation.

"So you're telling me that nothing happened?"

"I said nothing _important _happened."

"Well it looks pretty important from what..." Sango trailed off as the guys approached.

"What's going on?" asked Miroku curiously.

"Sango's minding her own damn business, that's what," growled Inuyasha, pushing past her and unlocking the door.

"Well," started the girl lightly, "He's mighty touchy, even though nothing important happened." She gave the other girl a suggestive nudge. The silver-haired youth turned around and fixed her with a heated glare before stepping inside.

She laughed. "Come on, Kagome. I'll show you to your room." She steered her through the immense house with a practiced ease.

"I'm never going to find my way around here," murmured the overwhelmed girl, her eyes darting about in a frantic attempt to remember what hallways and staircases they'd traveled.

"You're smart. It won't take you too long to figure things out," her friend retorted nonchalantly as they walked on even further. After rounding several corners, Sango finally stopped. "This one's mine. Come in for a second while I put my bag down."

Kagome did as she was told and tried not to gawk at the enormous bedroom. It could have easily swallowed her old room whole and gone back for seconds and thirds.

Sango quickly unpacked her things and put them in their places before turning back to the other girl, who was wearing that awestruck look again. She sighed and brought her to a door on the other side of the room. "This is the bathroom. We'll share it, unless you mind." The lavatory was proportionally large, as was the tub. "And this is your room." She opened yet another door and stood back to let Kagome through.

She couldn't hold back a soft gasp of shock. It was just as big as Sango's, but painted a light sage green whereas the other girl's was a soft powder blue. There was a dresser, a television, and a bed with a canopy. Once she regained her composure, Kagome looked closer. The carpet was a light creamy color and plush beneath her bare feet. The bedspread was decorated with dainty flowers and leaves that echoed the color of the walls. '_So this is where I'll sleep for three months,_' she thought once she was able to do so.

"Here. Let me help you unpack," offered Sango congenially. Once they finished unloading the suitcase, she showed Kagome the room's little luxuries. "The canopy has curtains that you can close if you like. The lights have a dimmer, and, if it gets too warm for you up here, you can open the balcony doors and let in a breeze. It's especially nice at night."

Kagome had forgotten all about the promised balcony. She opened the doors and walked outside. A perfect view of the lake awaited her, magnificent against the backdrop of the flowers and greenery.

"Oh, how beautiful," she breathed, leaning forward to rest her hands on the railing. A small gust of wind tousled her hair playfully, bringing with it the sweet scent of flowers. The girl took a deep breath and smiled. "I think I'll like it here."

:-:

After spending several hours touring the house ("It's more like a mansion," Kagome observed) the girls made their way down to the kitchen for some long overdue grub.

"Did you guys order something?" asked Sango hopefully upon seeing the three males in the kitchen as well.

"No. We were going to, but _he_ won't get off the phone," grumbled Inuyasha, sending a glower in his brother's direction, who gave him a level stare in return. Miroku wisely added nothing to his friend's statement.

"Well, if there's something in the fridge, I could try to whip something up if you'd like," offered Kagome meekly.

"No thanks," replied the amber-eyed boy. "I'd like to live to see my eighteenth birthday." The girl glared at him, but didn't respond.

"Now Inuyasha," interceded Miroku soothingly, "That's no way to talk to a lady. Especially not a lady who just offered to cook." He took Kagome's hand in his. "I, for one, would love it if you made something," he stated seriously, looking into her eyes.

She chuckled nervously, reclaiming her hand. "If no one else has any objection...?" That was specifically aimed toward Sesshomaru, who just shook his head. '_Even stoics get hungry, I suppose,_' she thought, then went to examine the fridge. A few moments later, with her make-shift supplies in tow, Kagome began to cook.

The others had to admit that they were amazed. In what seemed like no time at all, the kitchen was engulfed in the scent of breakfast. Even Inuyasha made a mumbled comment about how wonderful the food smelled. It didn't take her long to complete waffles, omelettes, bacon, sausage, and coffee. By the time she had finished, just about all the room's occupants were just about drooling.

"Ok. Go ahead and have a seat. I'll get the plates," she told them, sliding the last fluffy waffle onto the serving platter. They didn't have to be told twice. All of them (including Sesshomaru, who had ended his phone call early) sat at the table, eager to dig into the breakfast. The girl poured their drinks and handed them their plates before bringing the meal to the table. The food was divided between them, then the five began to eat.

"Kagome, this is great!" exclaimed Sango between bites.

"Yeah," agreed Inuyasha begrudgingly. Sesshomaru concurred with a nod.

"I hate to sound cliché," started Miroku good-naturedly, "but my compliments to the chef."

Kagome flushed crimson and murmured her thanks, keeping her eyes on her plate.

"Where did you learn to cook like this?" inquired the oldest of the group, stunning the entire room into silence.

"W-well," stammered the girl when she regained the use of her tongue, "I used to watch my dad cook. He always had to, since mom was at work. When–" She cleared her throat before continuing. "When he died, mom tried to be around to cook more, but it never worked out. So when got older, I sort of took over where he left off." She shrugged, pushing the food around her plate with her fork. Neither of the light-haired brothers said so, but their father did most of the cooking too. Their mother was usually in her studio until they reminded her that she needed to eat.

"Well kudos to him as well," said Miroku, raising his glass in an effort to keep the mood in the room from taking a nosedive.

"I wish I could cook like this," sighed Sango wistfully.

"I'm sure you could if you had the right recipe," replied Kagome with a wave of her hand.

Inuyasha snorted. "No she couldn't."

"That's not nice," chided the young woman lightly.

"It's true. She can't even make instant ramen."

"Surely she's not that bad."

"She burnt the water."

Kagome blinked, then looked to her friend. "I don't mean to be rude, but how on earth..."

"I don't know." She gave a disgruntled sigh. "I just looked away for a minute, then there was all this smoke. I hadn't even added then noodles yet."

"It's okay," she said softly, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I'll teach you."

"Oh shit," muttered the younger amber eyed sibling. The other two males didn't seem too thrilled either.

Kagome just shot him a glare and continued to sooth her friend. "And since Inuyasha's _so_ enthusiastic about it, he can be our taste tester." As the boy sputtered angrily, the girl eyed the other two. "Does anyone else care to volunteer?"

They carefully avoided meeting her gaze. Miroku eventually cleared his throat. "Wow, Kagome. These waffles are just delicious. They're so light and fluffy." The young woman gave a satisfied nod, then turned back to her friend.

"When would you like to begin, apprentice?"

"Whenever is convenient for you, oh great master. Please, teach me. I am a blank canvas." The two laughed amiably before finishing their meal. When Kagome started to collect the dishes, an emotionless voice stopped her.

"No. Let those two get them," he ordered, nodding towards Inuyasha and Miroku. Without another word, he exited the room. Kagome gave a surprised smile and left the grumbling boys to clean. She and her comrade decided to take a walk through the estate.

"I told you he wasn't that bad," said Sango as they ambled along a walkway between large, fragrant rosebushes.

"I guess not. But then again, anyone who gets me out of dishes goes on my good list," the girl replied playfully. After a moment, she sighed. "I can't imagine actually living here, just roaming around whenever you felt like it. What would you do with all those rooms?"

"Oh, that's simple," said the other girl with a nonchalant wave of her hand. Her friend gestured impatiently for her to continue. "I roller skate."

Kagome looked at her as if she were insane. "Roller skate? You've got to be kidding me."

"No. It's actually pretty fun."

"You mean you've actually done it?"

"Yeah. I love it."

"And Sesshomaru just lets you?"

Sango gave a sly grin. "What Sesshomaru doesn't know can't hurt him. Or me, for that matter."

"I can't believe you just said that."

"What? Contrary to popular belief, Sesshomaru isn't all-knowing. He doesn't have eyes in the back of his head, and he can't hear a pin drop half a mile away."

"No, but I can hear you chatting away down there."

A look of pure horror was frozen on Kagome's face. Sango didn't look very happy-go-lucky either. Simultaneously, they two girls looked skyward. Two stories above them, the ice sickle prince himself stood on a balcony. The dark-eyed young woman chuckled anxiously. "Hey, Sess. Didn't see you up there."

He gave her a deadpan look. "I'm well aware."

"You see, uh, it's the funniest story actually. We were just talking about–"

"I could care less about what you do while I'm not here, just as long as you don't get us killed." He paused for a moment. "As long as you don't get _me_ killed. And keep in mind that whatever you break while you're racing around the house like an idiot comes out of your share twice over." He turned around and went back inside.

The girls looked at each other and burst into uncontrollable giggles. Several minutes later, they were still holding their stomachs.

"You have," started Kagome, wiping her eyes, "the most impeccable timing."

"It's a gift," replied Sango, then took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Well that proves it. He _is_ all knowing. I bet you'll think twice before you skate again," the young woman said with a grin.

"Why? He just said that he doesn't care." Kagome could only looked at her, shocked. "I'm just kidding. I'm never skating in there again. Now I'm afraid he'll pop up out of nowhere and lecture me or something," Sango assured her, shivering. That had them chuckling again. After they regained their breath for the second time, they continued on with their tour of the grounds.

:-:

The two girls finished their walk and returned to the house, still engaged in friendly banter. All the chatter stopped, however, as they entered the living room where the men were. On the television, The Tape was playing. Sango cast a nervous glance to her companion. Kagome's gaze had gone distant, as if remembering, before she shook herself and strode purposefully into the room. Sesshomaru sent them a bored look before looking back to the television, where the home video section of The Tape was playing.

"Don't worry," said Kagome with a forced lightness to her voice. "It's almost to the good part."

"You've seen it before?" The oldest of the five never was the sort to beat around the bush.

The young woman nodded. "Yes."

"How long?"

She didn't have to ask him to elaborate. "A few minutes. Five at most. You'll see it happen just after he starts talking about his favorite restaurant." It was like she was talking about someone she didn't know. Some random person's video tape. Some random person's favorite restaurant. Some random person's Uncle Miles. She took a deep breath before sitting down and watching. It was indeed a few minutes later when Miles began to talk about "... the best restaurant in Tokyo." Her breath hitched in her throat. She didn't even realize that she had a white-knuckled grip on the pillow in her lap until she felt Sango give her hand a comforting squeeze. Kagome couldn't even muster up a slight smile to give her friend. All of her energy was concentrated on forcing herself to sit and watch.

The television suddenly went from showing the side of a building to an alleyway. In it stood two men. She felt herself stiffen, but was powerless to stop it. Vaguely, she noticed Sesshomaru sitting forward on the edge of his seat, his face betraying a slight amount of disbelief.

"That can't be," he murmured, staring at the screen intently.

"Holy shit," breathed Inuyasha quietly. "Is that...?"

"Takeo," finished Miroku softly, also watching the video as if mesmerized.

Four loud shots echoed through the room. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, every muscle in her body tense and she fought off painful memories. Why she tortured herself that way, she wasn't sure, but she felt like she had to. She could listen, but she couldn't open her eyes and look, no matter how hard she tried. It didn't really matter. She knew the scene by heart anyway. The blood. The body just lying there. The light leaving his eyes. She could see it replaying in her mind right then. She knew that was trembling, and she could do nothing about it. An arm slid around her shoulders. Sango was hugging her.

The sound of Uncle Miles's feet hitting the pavement as he ran filled her ears, as well as the labored sound of his breathing. "Oh my God," he was saying numbly. "Oh my God."

It went on for a few more moments. "Enough," Sango hissed finally. "You've seen it. Now turn it off."

For the first time, the three men observed the scene before them. Kagome was pale and shaking, her eyes shut tightly. Sango was rocking the young woman back and forth, trying to soothe her. After a few moments, the girl opened her eyes. They could see them glisten with unshed tears before she blinked them away. "I-I," she stammered weakly, "I'm sorry."

Sango shushed her. "Are you alright?"

Kagome nodded slowly. "I just n-need to lie down."

"Alright. I'll take you to your room." The dark-eyed young woman helped her friend out of the room.

Sesshomaru watched them leave thoughtfully. '_Interesting,_' he mused with a slight frown. "This might be of use to us."

Inuyasha couldn't help glowering at his sibling. "Were you born a cold heartless bastard or did you have to work at it?"

The older brother shot him a heated look. "Were you born an idiot, or did mother drop you on your head without telling me?" he shot back, then gave a dignified snort. "Think about it, Inuyasha. This can be used to our advantage and you know it."

The youth sighed and nodded reluctantly. The thought had crossed his mind at one point or another. "So what are you going to do?"

Without another word, Sesshomaru took out his cell phone and dialed a number. The only evidence of his impatience was a finger tapping rhythmically on the arm of the chair in which he was seated. Finally someone answered. "Yes. It's me. Kouga, do you remember your old patron, Takeo?... Yes." He paused briefly before continuing in his emotionless monotone. "I have news."

--

AN: Please don't shoot me! I'm sooo sorry! I've just had the BIGGEST case of writers block! An eight month case of writer's block! Ack. But I s'pose that's no excuse. I'm updating, and that's all that matters, right? Well, I'm going to be updating more regularly, I hope. I think a few weeks between each chapter at most. I'm really going to try, I promise. Bye for now!

PS. Just b/c I've been gone for a while doesn't mean that you guys get out of reviewing!


	12. Envy A Wasted Emotion?

AN: Hello there! I know it's been a long while since I've updated, and I'm sorry. These things happen. I'll try to be better about it in the future. Girl Scout's honor. (And yes. I was a Girl Scout.) OH! I was in such a hurry to post that last chapter that I forgot to tell ya'll: I SAW QUEEN! I saw Queen IN CONCERT! Ok. It was Queen + Paul Rogers. Not exactly the original Queen, but it'd be kinda creepy if Freddie's ashes were to show up on that stage and start singing Bohemian Rhapsody. Ok. I'm done. ONWARD!

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own them. Never have, and probably never will.

**Chapter Twelve: Envy- A Wasted Emotion?**

Kagome lay in her room, staring up at her bed's canopy. The morning sun streamed through her window, making patterns on the carpet. The previous afternoon's events were still fresh in her mind. Barely suppressing a shudder, the girl tried to stop herself from replaying The Tape's images over and over again in her mind, but to no avail. She could still see the man's cold lifeless gaze as if she had been there in person. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, trying to think of anything else. She needed to forget. She needed a distraction. She needed to cook. Her eyes popped open as she considered the possibility. The others were bound to be up soon, and they would probably want something to eat. It would serve as the perfect distraction from her unsettling thoughts.

Once she was dressed, Kagome attempted to make her way down to the kitchen. '_Lets see,_' she thought after getting lost for the third time. '_When I came up here with Sango, we took a left, two rights, and a left. Or was it two lefts, a right, and another left?_' She gave a frustrated sigh and tried yet another hallway. The one good thing was that none of the hallways looked exactly alike, so it was easy for her to determine if she had tried the same one twice. Finally the girl found her way to the stairs and made her way to the kitchen.

The digital clock on the microwave showed the time in florescent green numbers. 6:14. Kagome didn't know exactly what time the others got up. Of one thing she was certain, though; if she was going to have breakfast ready for them, she had better get cooking. The girl eagerly threw herself into her work. Before long, she had several dishes in progress, including scones, muffins, pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, omelettes, and toast.

Around twenty minutes after she had started, Sesshomaru entered the kitchen with a newspaper tucked under his arm. His gaze immediately went to Kagome, who froze. It never occurred to her that the estate's oldest occupant would have a problem with her impromptu kitchen takeover. His expression was carefully blank as he regarded her, giving the girl no indication that he was pleased or vexed. She held her breath, hoping that no major confrontation would ensue. Sesshomaru glanced from her to the stove, then, without a word, sat down at the table and began to read his paper. The young woman gave a soft, relieved sigh before turning back to the stove to flip the pancakes.

Kagome still remained a bit anxious around the older silver-haired sibling. After the incident on the train, she wasn't sure where she stood with him. Since he seemed perfectly content ignoring her, she followed suit, silently continuing to prepare breakfast. It came as a surprise when he spoke.

"You and Sango will be leaving for the day."

She jumped a foot in the air, startled. "What?" she asked, pressing a hand to her chest to steady her frantically beating heart.

"I have a meeting here with an associate. The two of you will have to find something to do away from the estate. You need to go to the mall, correct?"

The girl nodded, swallowing nervously. She didn't recall mentioning her need of more clothes in front of the silver-haired man. Even if she had, she never would have thought that he would notice or care."Uh huh."

"Then it is safe to assume that you and she can find an appropriate way to amuse yourselves there?"

She didn't miss the way he emphasized the word 'appropriate'. After he had overheard Sango admit to ripping through the house on roller blades, the young woman couldn't really blame him. "Yes."

With a slight nod, Sesshomaru turned back to his paper and continued to read. Kagome was so dumbfounded by the unanticipated conversation that she nearly let the sausage burn. Rescuing the links from their blackened doom, she scooped them out onto a plate and continued to ready the meal.

Roughly ten minutes later, the others began to wander down the stairs, drawn by the heavenly scents wafting from the kitchen. Sango entered first, followed by the two boys.

"Wow. It smells great in here, Kagome," she said, then lowered herself into a chair. "Mornin', Sess." The older sibling responded with a nod, his eyes never leaving the newspaper.

"I agree with Sango. It smells delicious," added Miroku, also taking a seat.

Inuyasha flopped into a chair, slumping lazily over the kitchen table. "When's it gonna be done?" he questioned grouchily.

"Who said I was going to give you any?" asked Kagome with a sassy grin. "Besides, what was all that talk about you not needing much sleep, hmm? For someone who's used to going without much rest, you're sure not bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning." When the amber-eyed youth responded to her jesting with a dark glare, she gave an indignant sniff. "Fine. Be that way." She sat his plate down before him with a soft _thunk_.

Sango gave her friend a grateful smile as she set the platters of food on the table. "So, has Sess told you about our day out?"

The girl beamed. "Yeah. I'm looking forward to it, even though I've never really liked going to the mall."

"What? Why?" demanded her companion, shocked

Kagome's smile dimmed slightly. "I always had to go with my mom," she responded quietly, depositing the rest of the plates, then going back for cups.

"Well, there's no parental supervision today," replied Sango quickly, maneuvering her way around a potentially sticky and awkward situation. "It's just the two of us girls going on a shopping spree." A sly grin spread across her features. "With credit cards."

The young woman laughed as she grabbed various beverages, then approached the manor's oldest occupant. "Coffee, milk, or orange juice?"

:-:

The five enjoyed their breakfast, joking around with one another. Sesshomaru even joined in the group's friendly banter, even though it was a sarcastic joke at his younger brother's expense. All in all, it was a pleasant meal, and everyone was satisfied upon finishing.

"That was great, Kagome," complimented Sango, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"Indeed," agreed Miroku, stretching.

"Yeah. It was," Inuyasha said amiably, nodding.

Kagome blinked, surprised, then gave him an affable smile. "T-thank you."

"Welcome," he replied with a slight grin at her stunned expression.

"Wow," breathed Sango. "Did he just compliment her?"

"Yes. I do believe he did. And he was cordial. I didn't think he had it in him." The blue-eyed youth ruffled his friend's hair. Inuyasha shoved him aside, rolling his eyes. The other teens laughed, pushing in their chairs and starting to leave and ready themselves for the upcoming day.

The boys, however, were halted by a call from the oldest of the group.

"You two. Dishes." His tone left no room for argument.

"B-but–" started his younger sibling, but was soon interrupted.

"Get used to it. When she cooks, you clean. Or would you rather her not cook at all?"

None of the manor's occupants wanted that, so the boys tidied the kitchen while the two young women readied themselves for their shopping trip. By the time they had made their way back downstairs to leave, the guys had finished and were residing in the living room.

A thought disclosed itself to Kagome as the sight of the younger amber-eyed boy's bored expression. "Are you sure you guys don't want to come with us? I mean, it's the least I could do since you cleaned up for me."

Inuyasha's eyes immediately lit up with hope, and he looked to his brother pleadingly.

"No," replied the older sibling. "They need to be present at the meeting as well." The youth's face fell, and the girl felt a slight tug on her heartstrings at his disappointed pout. "Besides," Sesshomaru continued, "it was their pleasure. Right, brother?" Inuyasha responded to this with one of his famous glowers, but nodded sullenly.

Kagome sighed, then shrugged. "Just thought I'd ask."

"Ready to go?" asked Sango, getting the car keys from a hook next to the door and shouldering her purse.

Her friend nodded, sending an apologetic look to the silver-haired youth before leaving. Once in the car, she turned to the other girl. "What's the deal with Inuyasha?"

"Oh. They're meeting Kouga, and the two have never really seen eye to eye."

"I see." Kouga. The man whose patron was murdered on The Tape. The young woman repressed a shudder, before smiling brightly. "Lets go!"

The mall where their drive ended was huge, boasting several stories. Kagome felt a tingle of excited anticipation run down her spine as she pondered what shops they would visit.

"Come on, slow poke!" she urged, leaping from the car as soon as it came to a complete stop in the parking lot.

"Cool it, Kagome. We've got all day." Sango grinned and locked the car before letting her friend lead her into the massive shopping center.

:-:

The girls went from store to store, spending 'conservatively', although their definition of the word differed slightly from the norm. The hours passed without notice until their stomachs told them that it was time for lunch. They maneuvered their way to the food court and began the tricky process of choosing a restaurant. After deciding on pizza over burgers, they sat at a table and began to eat.

"I've been meaning to ask you," started Sango after taking a sip of her soda. "How are things going between you and Inuyasha?"

Kagome blinked, then tried to stammer a response. "Um, w-what do you mean? You know just about as much as I do."

"Yeah right. What about this morning? After he complimented you, which was an act of the Gods in itself, you were positively beaming." She nudged her friend with her elbow, smiling suggestively.

"You said so yourself. It was an act of the Gods. I was so surprised–"

"Please." Sango rolled her eyes, then leaned closer to her pink-cheeked friend. "So, do you like him or not?"

"What?"

"Oh come on, Kagome. Don't play deaf. You must have liked him while you two were talking over the internet. At least, it seemed like you did."

The girl's embarrassment immediately gave way to anger. "He let you read what we typed?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"Oh no. Not at all. We sort of spied on him. Sort of. He was really pissed when he found us, too. He almost broke Miroku's nose."

Kagome had to laugh. The image painted in her mind was to vivid not to. "I'd probably be angry too." She sent her friend a wary, sidelong look. "Just how much did you read?"

"Not much." The fair-eyed young woman gave a sigh of relief. "Just enough to realize that you liked him, and he liked you."

"He liked me?"

"Obviously! You've met him. Does he seem like the sort to flirt just because he can? And before you deny it, he _was_ flirting." Sango rolled her eyes. "It was unmistakable. 'I want to brag about the really sweet girl I'm chatting with'," she mimicked dramatically.

"Stop it," hissed Kagome, looking around the food court to make sure no one was watching them. "Besides, that was then. He sure doesn't like me now."

"Whatever you say, Kagome."

"He doesn't. He's so rude and inconsiderate–"

"He's like that with everyone," interrupted Sango with an annoyed sigh. "But enough about his feelings. We were talking about _yours_." She leaned forward and lowered her voice slightly. "Do you like him or not?"

"No." Kagome's curt reply didn't have Sango fooled for a moment.

"Not at all?"

"No."

"Not even a little bit?"

"No!"

"You're lying."

"No I'm not! Besides, he doesn't like me, so it doesn't even matter."

"If nothing's going on between you guys, why does it matter whether he likes you or not?"

Kagome seemed shocked for a moment, then shook her head. "I-it doesn't. I... we... we're just friends," she finished resolutely.

Sango grinned before taking another bite of her pizza. "Right. Just friends."

:-:

After the girls left for the mall, the males didn't have long for their acquaintance to arrive, much to the silver-haired boy's chagrin. Kouga, the leader of a well-known gang, was no stranger to any of the three boys who awaited him. He had approached them with jobs in the past, so it was safe to say that they were allies of some sort.

Kouga was escorted into the gargantuan home by the ever-stoic Sesshomaru. When they had first been introduced, he had found the amber-eyed man's cold personality unnerving, but he had grown used to it with time. The younger brother, however, was a totally different story. The two had never gotten along. It was a rarity for a civil word to be exchanged between them. As a matter of fact, meetings between he and Inuyasha involved them coming to blows more often than not. He entered the room in which their meeting was to be conducted and completely ignored Inuyasha, who rolled his eyes and snorted.

Miroku, cordial as always, greeted their guest good-naturedly. "Long time no see."

"Same here," Kouga agreed, shaking his hand. "Been busy lately?"

"Perhaps." Sesshomaru sat leisurely in a blue-upholstered armchair. "What have you heard?"

"Something about you passing up a huge job for Naraku."

The three hosts exchanged glances.

"Word travels fast," Miroku comment nonchalantly. "Where'd you hear that?"

"Ayame, and Kikyo told her."

"I thought Ayame didn't like Kikyo."

"She doesn't, but she's not stupid. If Naraku's girlfriend wanted to talk, she was going to listen."

Inuyasha blinked, surprised, for two reasons. First off, Kikyo wasn't the sort to have a girl to girl chat, no matter which of her personas she happened to be wearing that day. Secondly, hearing Kouga refer to her as Naraku's girlfriend didn't give him the 'knife to the heart' feeling he had been expecting. Instead of the persistent ache that had become associated with his ex's name, he felt regret, and nothing more. Almost experimentally, he allowed himself to access the part of his mind that had been sealed off for so long. He thought of the time, all those months ago, when he and Kikyo thought themselves to be in love. The pain that accompanied such memories had dulled significantly. As to why, he wasn't sure, but he was glad for it. With a shake of his head, he rejoined the rest of the conversation.

"So how are things going between you and Ayame?" questioned Miroku, politely interested.

"Not so good."

"Why? What'd you do to her?" asked Inuyasha with a sneer.

Kouga spared a few moments to give him a heated glare before he responded. "She got all worked up over a stupid promise that I supposedly made a while ago. Something about marriage." He shifted uncomfortably, then continued. "Anyway, she got all upset when I told her that I didn't remember promising her anything, so now things are pretty much on hold."

They younger sibling snorted. "Smooth move."

Kouga was just going to come up with a biting comeback when Sesshomaru interrupted him.

"Let's get down to business." The silver-haired man leaned forward gracefully in his seat before continuing. "Did Kikyo relay to Ayame anything else about the job?"

"Something about a girl and a tape you were supposed to get rid of for a load of money. But what does that have to do with Takeo?"

"You'll figure it out once you've seen the tape."

Something in Kouga's mind clicked. '_Tape. Naraku wants a tape._' Any other time, he would have shrugged it off as a coincidence. The fact that Naraku was looking for a tape and that the three guys wanted him to see a tape was purely happenstance. He wanted to believe that, but there was something in the three male's demeanor that wouldn't let him. It could have been in the way they shared a glance when he mentioned Naraku, or the fact that they were incredibly tight-lipped about the job they had supposedly rejected without a second thought, but something about them just didn't sit right.

"Wait," he started slowly, "This isn't the tape Naraku wants, is it?" Silence was his only reply. Their failure to respond could only mean yes. "B-but I thought you didn't take the job!" he stammered, flabbergasted.

"We didn't," replied Sesshomaru in his usual calm tonality.

"Then where'd you get it? Why do you have it, and why are you keeping it from Naraku?"

The golden-eyed man regarded Kouga with a sigh and vaguely exasperated expression. "It would be best if those questions remained unanswered for the time being." Without another word, he picked up the VCR remote and pressed play.

He'd had the foresight to fast forward through the majority of the home-video portion of the tape, but he didn't go straight to the section of Takeo's death. Instead, they watched a bit of the segment before, where Miles was talking about his favorite restaurant. When the actual murder played on the screen, Sesshomaru watched Kouga's reaction intently. The young man's eyes widened marginally, and a muscle in his jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth. Even after the scene had passed, the youth's eyes remained riveted to the screen.

"Rewind," he finally said, his voice tense and a bit hoarse.

Sesshomaru did as he was bidden, rewinding the tape and letting it play through a second time.

"Again." Once more, the tape was rewound and played. Kouga's gaze never wavered. He wanted to make sure that the image stuck in his mind- the image of Naraku gunning down the closest thing he'd ever had to family. Takeo was his predecessor; he had taught Kouga everything he knew. The two of therm were very close, like brothers. He wanted to be certain that the feeling of betrayal-fueled rage stayed with him until his thirst for vengeance was quenched. He shook his head and gave a dry, humorous chuckle. "That bastard actually showed up to the funeral." The other three men remained silent as Kouga visibly collected himself. It was only a few moments until he was back in business mode, save the angry, determined glint in his eyes. He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. "Why did you show me this?"

"You had the right to know–"

"Cut the crap," interrupted the disgruntled young man. "You wouldn't have shown me unless you had something to get out of it."

Sesshomaru sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We want out."

Kouga regarded him levelly. Of all the possible incentives that the three could have had, that one hadn't occurred to him. "You want out," he repeated slowly.

"Yes."

That got him thinking. It made perfect sense. Every circus had its ring-leader, and Naraku was exactly that. He was the head honcho, and they were his favorite group of hit men. If he didn't want them to 'retire', then they wouldn't. But, if the head honcho was overthrown, the chaos that ensued afterward would be ideal for their parting. However, that didn't answer all of his questions.

"Why?"

It was Inuyasha who answered. "Think about it, idiot. What reason do we have to stay?"

As much as Kouga hated to admit it, the young man was right. Since Sesshomaru had come into his inheritance years before, there wouldn't be a reason for them to stick around if no one was forcing them to. He nodded slowly, then eyed the oldest of the group. "And where do I fit into this?"

Sesshomaru leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees and elegantly steepling his fingers. "You are the catalyst."

"Wait. You're telling me that _I'm_ supposed to be the leader of the revolution against Naraku?"

"Why not? You've got the connections, and the backup. You'll have support, especially if word gets around just who did Takeo in all those years ago."

Kouga nodded again. Part of his brain knew that they were just trying to get him to accept their offer by stroking his ego, but once his initial uneasiness subsides, he began to think about the situation logically. He _would_ have support. There was no doubt about that. Takeo had had many friends- _powerful_ friends- all of whom were outraged by his death. Once it came to light that Naraku had killed him, they would demand recompense. It was perfect.

"And _why_ can't I just go kill that bastard myself?"

"Because, the more of a commotion this makes, the better."

Sesshomaru was right. If Naraku were mysteriously killed, it wouldn't cause nearly enough chaos for the ring-leader's favorite guns for hire to slip off the radar unnoticed. If they went through with the plan, however, the group could be long gone before anyone even realized it.

Kouga weighed his options carefully. If he agreed to help Sesshomaru and the others, he would get justice for Takeo's death, and they would escape from Naraku's syndicate. It was a win-win plan. He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "I'm in."

The silver-haired man nodded. "Good. We must take our time in the execution of our plans, or–"

"In other words, if we're not careful, we're screwed," interrupted Inuyasha, stretching.

His brother spared him a cool look before nodding again. "Yes. Very careful. In our line of work, there are ears everywhere. If word gets back to Naraku, we are, as you say, 'screwed'."

Miroku, who had been silently taking in the meeting, offered his input. "Or," he started slowly, "we could use those ears to our advantage. We could start rumors- discreet rumors, mind you- that would suggest that Naraku was behind Takeo's death."

Inuyasha nodded, his brow furrowed in thought. "Yeah. Everybody would know in no time flat. Rumors this juicy, even if they're not true, spread like wildfire. If we gave it enough time..."

"There would be an uproar," finished Sesshomaru. "Takeo's old friends would want retribution, and they'd probably do anything to get it."

"Especially if you egged them on, Kouga," added Miroku with a sly grin. "Make them want justice for Takeo as much as you do. Get them all worked up."

Kouga nodded slowly. "I like the sound of that. Hell, if we played our cards right, we wouldn't even have to get our hands dirty. They'd rip Naraku apart."

"But there's one problem," interjected Sesshomaru. "If we go about things that way, we'll end up starting a war."

"Damn," muttered Inuyasha, running a hand through his hair anxiously. "Naraku's goons on one side, and us on the other. I don't like the sound of that."

"Neither do I. We just need a little chaos to slip away unnoticed. Not a full-blown war. Who knows how long it would last? And think about how many innocents would be caught in the middle." Miroku shook his head. "There's got to be another way."

"So it's back to the drawing board," stated Kouga with a frustrated sigh.

"I suppose so," replied Sesshomaru, looking vaguely annoyed.

"Hey," started the younger silver-haired sibling. "How about we..."

The four males continued to bounce ideas off of one another. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't hear the girls return from their shopping trip.

:-:

"Ugh. I didn't plan to buy so much today," groaned Kagome, hauling her purchases out of the car.

"And you still didn't buy everything you needed to," added Sango, holding the door open for her struggling friend.

"Do you think the guys are done with their meeting?"

"I don't know. Probably so. We've been gone for a while." The two girls made their way up the stairs.

Kagome frowned. Even though she didn't know her way around the enormous home just yet, she was certain that they weren't traveling the same path to their rooms as she remembered. "Where are we going?"

"Up to the rooms, of course. Where else would we be going?"

"But this isn't the way you showed me yesterday."

"There is more than one way to get up there, and I disapprove of taking the same route twice in a row. Variety keeps the mind sharp."

"In other words, you're trying to confuse me."

Sango laughed softly. "Maybe."

Kagome was just going to retort when something caught her eye. A piano occupied an unfamiliar, yet breathtaking room. The rays of dying sunlight filtered through a single large window that boasted a picturesque view of the lake behind the house. A fireplace dominated the adjoining wall, its elegantly carved mantle doubling as a shelf for at least two dozen leather-bound books. A couch, upholstered in a butter cream-colored fabric resided in a corner, its position perfect for viewing the window, the fireplace, and the piano. A pair of matching chairs also occupied the room, one next to the couch, and the other in front of the window. The piano itself appeared majestic and antique. She could see sheet music on the piano, and couldn't help wondering what song it was.

"Geez. I could have already had our things in our rooms already. Give me those." Sango took the bags from her friend and continued up the staircase. "You can stay and look around if you like," she called over her shoulder, the close to a dozen shopping bags not making her miss a step. "Just don't get lost."

Kagome stuck her tongue out at her comrade's retreating back before entering the entrancing room that beckoned to her.

She wasted no time in making her way to the piano. There, she discovered that it was not printed sheet music, but staff paper, browned with age. Her eyes automatically began to scan the handwritten notes. The melody was beautiful. 'Haunting' was the word that came to her mind as she continued to read the music. She could already hear the tune in her mind, but her fingers itched to play. She had the insatiable urge to make that piece resonate from the piano, her instrument of choice. Unable to resist, she sat down and began to play.

:-:

The hours spent by the four males formulating plans were all for naught. All of their ideas had some flaw or another that could land them in prison, facing a war, or worse. Sesshomaru was just going to call an end to their meeting for the night when the soft, yet unmistakable sound of a piano being playing reached his ears.

"Do you hear that?" asked Kouga, straining to hear more.

"Yes. I hear it," responded Sesshomaru, frowning. "And I know just where it's coming from." Without another word, he left the room. Since he didn't tell them to stay put, the three young men followed.

Inuyasha knew where he was headed. Their destination was their parents' piano room. He hadn't been there in ages, but he still knew the way. The music grew steadily louder as they mounted the stairs, crescendoing until they were right outside the room in question. There, to his surprise, their willing captive sat at the piano. Her hair was flung over her shoulder, exposing the creamy, soft-looking skin of her nape. Her eyes never left the piece in front of her as her fingers flew gracefully over the keys, appearing to move of their own volition. She nodded in time to the music, her lips parted slightly. Although she seemed to be concentrating, she looked completely at ease. Since Sesshomaru made no move to enter the room, the four stood outside, silently enjoying the music.

The song ended a few minutes later, and a pleased smile spread over the young woman's lips. She pushed back the piano bench and stood, then promptly jumped a meter in the air upon noticing her kidnappers standing in the doorway.

"I-I'm sorry. I thought... I-I-I didn't think... Y-your meeting. Is it over?"

"It is now," quipped Sesshomaru stepping into the room. The other three followed.

Kouga was floored. The young woman before them looked almost exactly like Kikyo. It was plain that she wasn't her, though. Kikyo never stammered in fear of any man unless it suited her purposes. Judging from the heat of embarrassment that bloomed in _this_ young woman's cheeks, she had no more manufactured the situation than her blush. Intrigued, he continued to observe her. There was no denying that the girl before him was attractive. And talented. She caught him watching her and looked away, clearly uncomfortable.

Without a second thought, Kouga stepped forward and offered his hand. "Hi. I'm Kouga. And you are?"

She met his eyes briefly before shaking his hand timidly. "Kagome."

"Well, _Kagome_," he started, placing careful emphasis on her name, "I've never heard anything like your playing before. It was almost as beautiful as you are." He lowered his head slightly, placing a kiss on the back of her hand.

Her blush intensified, staining her cheeks an pretty shade of pink. "T-t-thank you."

"You're welcome." He flashed her a charming grin that made her cheeks turn crimson.

Without thinking, Inuyasha strode forward angrily, snatching Kagome's hand from Kouga's. "Get your hands off my..." He faltered.

The other young man raised a brow. "Your what?"

"My friend," he retorted quickly. '_Yeah. That's what I was going to say._' "She doesn't need you slobbering all over her. She'll probably catch something now."

Kouga's eyes flashed icy blue. "If she hasn't caught anything from standing within a foot of you–"

"Hey, Kouga!" Sango ambled into the room, then paused. She glanced from her friend's flushed cheeks to the young men glowering at each other next to her. "What's going on?"

Inuyasha sent one last meaningful glare toward Kouga, who returned it with a vengeance. "Nothing."

She rolled her eyes and sighed, then turned to her friend. "Was that you playing?" When she nodded wordlessly, she continued. "It was really pretty."

"Thanks, but all I did was play it. The music's up there," she said, gesturing back to the piano.

"Modest as well," said Kouga with another one of his grins.

"I told you not to talk to her," growled Inuyasha, cracking his knuckles.

The other young man took a menacing step forward. "You said not to touch her. Besides, who are you to tell me what to do?"

Sensing the unmistakable tension in the room, Sango stepped between the two, pushing them away from each other. "Cool it, guys. We don't need a testosterone-fueled he-man showdown today." She then looked at Sesshomaru. "How'd the meeting go?"

The oldest of the room's inhabitants recounted the meeting, unaffected by the fight that nearly broke out right under his nose.

"So you guys couldn't think of anything?"

Sesshomaru shook his head and gave an annoyed sigh. "Every plan we came up with had a flaw."

Kagome thought about the conversation being held between two of her captors. She had an idea. They wouldn't like it very much, but it was better than anything they had come up with. She cleared her throat timidly. The sound was barely heard, but it was enough for all the room's occupants to give her their attention. She couldn't suppress the urge to shudder under the weight of their gazes. "I was wondering if you considered going to the police. I mean, you've got the tape. It should be enough for them to arrest Naraku, at the very least."

The five conspirators exchanged incredulous glances. It was Sango who replied. "Um, Kagome, we really don't do police. In case you forgot–"

"I know. I didn't forget. You guys don't want the cops after you. I understand. That's why I think_ I_ should deliver the tape."

"What?" exploded Inuyasha, incredulous.

"Kagome, this really isn't such a good idea," started Miroku slowly.

"Why not? I have no issues with the police. We could just give them a copy of the tape, then–"

"No." Sesshomaru's tone left no room for argument. "It's out of the question."

"Why?" the young woman asked again. "It's the best plan you've got so far. No one gets killed. There are no mega-gang wars that would break out. I could just give them the tape, then let them do their job. If it'd make you feel better, I could deliver it at night, in a disguise, that way there would be absolutely no ties to you guys."

"She does have a point. I don't like getting the police involved either, but this is the best plan we have so far," Kouga grudgingly admitted. Three of the others murmured their reluctant agreement, but Sesshomaru wasn't convinced.

"Come on. What do you have to lose? No one dies, and everybody will get the justice they want."

Inuyasha wasn't sure, but something about the way she worded her last sentence gave him the feeling that she knew more than she let on once again. His eyes narrowed. '_Just what is she hiding?_' He wondered for the umpteenth time.

Sesshomaru sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He still didn't like her plan, but they had no other alternatives. "Fine. But we'll do this my way. You'll do _what_ I say _when_ I say. Do you understand?"

Kagome nodded quickly, her mind going a mile a minute. '_Everybody will get the justice they want,_' she thought, hiding a slight smile.

-

AN: Wow. Oh wow oh wow oh wow. Over 10 pages! I have fussed over this chapter for months now. (No. I didn't lose track of time.) I actually had to call up my buddy (Woogie!) to help me out. Since it's been sooo long, let me reiterate that reviews are VERY MUCH APPRECIATED! I make no promises as to when the next chapter will be posted, because I lost my outline for the story. (Yet another reason that this chapter's posting was delayed.) See you guys (hopefully) soon.

– L.O


	13. Midnight Rendevous

AN: My most sincere apologies, dear readers. I'M SORRY!! So much has happened! Please forgive me!! I got a job, PLUS we (my orchestra) took a 2 week trip to Germany this spring. We'd been preparing since September. When you add that to a HORRIBLE case of writer's block, working, AND school, you get an indefinite intermission. I promise I'll get better! The trip's over, so I'll have more time to write. (And yes. I do realize it's been almost EXACTLY two years since I last updated. I would have just let this story die a slow, natural death, but I promised my friend I'd have it finished before going off to school in August. THIS IS FOR YOU, WOOGIE!!)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own them, ok? How many more times do I have to say it?

**Chapter Thirteen: Midnight Rendevous**

"So here's the plan." Kagome sat on the oak dining room table, notepad in hand. "We make a copy of the tape, stick it in an envelope, and I'll put it in the police station's mailbox."

"No."

The girl sent a glare at the monotonic, monosyllabic interjector. "And why not?"

"It has to be anonymous."

"It's an unmarked envelope with an unmarked tape inside. How much more anonymity do you need?"

Ignoring her pointed verbal jab, Sesshomaru continued. "There will be cameras. And once they see the tape, they'll go to the cameras to see who made the drop. And, there's no way to be sure that they'll get to it when we need them to." He looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head. "No. We need to put it right under their noses."

Sango, who up until then had been silent, gave him a puzzled frown. "So what are you suggesting, Sess?"

"A break in," he replied without even a moment's pause.

"Have you lost your damn mind?" demanded Inuyasha. "You want us to break into the police station?"

The older sibling shook his head. "Not us. Her." He nodded in Kagome's direction.

"What? Me?" The willing captive squeaked.

"You said you wanted to be involved." He shrugged, leaning against the table and looking as cool and unreadable as ever.

The girl's lips worked soundlessly. '_He _has _lost his damn mind... But he's right. I did ask to be involved. I've got to do this. I _have_ to._' "Fine. I'll do it." She paused momentarily before continuing. "But you'll have to teach me how. I've never done this before, obviously."

Sesshomaru merely nodded, unmoved by her assent. "We will have to get a disguise. And equipment. Miroku, you know what we'll need. Put a call in to Koga's people."

The blue eyed boy nodded. "When will we need it?"

"I plan on going in by the end of the week, so I'll expect it here by Wednesday."

Miroku nodded, took out his phone, and set about his assignment.

"Inuyasha, see about getting the floor plan. I'm not sending her in there blind."

"Got it."

"Sango, get on the disguises."

"Anything in particular?"

The silver haired man hesitated briefly. "For us, civilian wear is fine. For her, all black on top, civilian under." He paused again, then smirked. "And a mask. We do want to keep this festive."

"I'm on it."

Kagome, after observing the exchange, was stunned. '_What? No backtalk? No rolled eyes? No dirty jokes?_' The efficiency with which her captors set about their respective tasks was in complete opposition to how she'd seen them behave before.

Sesshomaru, noticing her shock, merely gave a soft, humorless snort. "Come." He left the room, not waiting to see if she followed.

"Whoa." She shook her head as he led her into what looked like a sitting room. "I keep forgetting that you guys are professionals."

He gave a leisure shrug. "As crass as the usually are, they know how to get the job done when the situation calls for it."

'_Did he just compliment them? Double whoa._' "I see."

Sesshomaru just nodded. "Have a seat, if you'd like."

'_Why's he being so nice?_' "No thanks. I'll stand, if it's all the same to you."

He shrugged again, shifting his weight to lean against the high back of an armchair. Golden eyes flashed, shrewd and calculating, as he began to study her.

'_Don't fidget. Do not fidget._' Determined not to let his scrutiny unnerve her, the girl took to studying the sitting room. Impeccably decorated just like the rest of the house, this particular room had a decidedly antique feel to it. If she listened hard enough, she could almost hear the rustle of ladies petticoats and skirts. A tastefully upholstered couch, two matching chairs, and a small coffee table were the room's only furniture. Thin, painstakingly embroidered curtains clothed the windows, which peered out over the manor's front lawn. '_Oh how pretty. I wonder how long it took to–_'

"Can you run?"

If she'd had an ounce less self control, Sesshomaru's abrupt and rather random question would have made her jump out of her skin. As it was, she merely started. "Run? Of course. I mean, can't everybody?"

He sighed, making her think that she'd answered the question incorrectly. "If it comes down to you getting away or getting arrested, can you run? Or will I have to make alternate arrangements?"

"No. I mean yes. I can run." Her tongue flicked nervously over her lips as she tried not to betray her unease. Maybe it was finally sinking in that she could get arrested. Or maybe it was the weight of the tremendous task that she would be trusted with. Whatever the case, her heart was beating against her ribcage with the ferocity of a wild, caged animal.

He nodded again. "And in the event that you do get arrested?"

She glared at him. "I won't incriminate you, if that's what you're asking."

"Good."

She stood there, waiting for his next batch of questions, but they never came. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a palm-sized black case and tossed it to her.

She gave him a puzzled frown. "What is this?"

"Look."

She unzipped the pouch and found several small, silver, skinny tools. "A lock picking kit?"

"Exactly," he said from behind her.

She whipped around to find him standing in the door frame, one hand on the knob. "W-what are you doing?" She hadn't even seen him move.

"Letting you practice, of course."

His meaning hit her like a backhand slap to the face. "No. Wait!"

An arrogant curve of his lips was the last thing she saw before he locked her in.

She launched herself at the door, knowing that it was no use. "Sesshomaru? Sesshomaru! You bastard! Open this damn door!"

"While you're in there screeching like a banshee, you could be getting yourself out. I gave you the tools."

'_Why that..._' "Inuyasha? Sango?"

The manor's other female was the only one to respond. "Sorry, Kags. We can't. Just try your best."

The imprisoned girl gave a frustrated groan. '_They're really not going to let me out! I can't believe this!_' Seeing no better alternative, she picked up the kit from where it had fallen in her mad dash to the door. "It can't be that hard, can it?" she muttered with a smidgen of forced optimism. She'd seen it done in the movies. They always made it seem easy as pie.

... About ten minutes and a plethora colorful swear words later, she was still no closer to getting out of her makeshift prison cell. '_Dammit, Sesshomaru._' She scowled at the little leather kit, willing some of her negative energy onto its former owner. She'd tried just about everything, mixing and matching the tools she was given to no avail. With a frustrated sigh, she called out to her captor.

"Are you _sure_ everything I need is in here?"

The reply was succinct and to the point, as she'd expected

"Yes.

Kagome groaned, hardly resisting the urge to bang her head against the offending door. Defeat was near on the horizon. Just as she contemplated begging, she caught a glimpse of something silver out of the corner of her eye. Something that must have fallen away from the rest of the kit in her earlier attempts at picking the lock. She picked up the tool, eyeing it critically. It looked like a long, skinny, metal rod with a bend at one end. '_It's got to be this one. I'm sure of it. I've used all of the others._' With that thought, she thrust the tool into the lock. No luck.

"Ugh!!" She was just about to yank the doohickey out of the lock and toss it to the other side of the room when she felt something- a tiny catch that gave just a bit when she'd pulled. The girl frowned, concentrating, then gave the tool a little wiggle.

_Click._

It was tiny, but she'd heard it. With bated breath, she tried the knob again.

_Still_ no luck.

But she didn't fret. There _was_ a click. That was better than nothing, right? So, carefully removing the tool, she set it aside and tried to figure out what she could be doing wrong.

'_Something's missing. I know it. I need something to turn with..._' The slate-eyed girl riffled through the kit until she found what she dubbed 'The Turner Doodad.' Placing it gently into the lock, she tried it in conjunction with the first tool. She heard the same _click_ before the hook got caught on something else. She gave another wiggle, and another _click _sounded. '_Hey! I may be getting the hang of this!_' Chewing her lip, she adjusted her grip on the Turner Doodad and continued to fiddle with the lock. After two more minutes and three more clicks, the hooked tool had caught on nothing else. All that could be done was done. The only thing left to do was to turn the Doodad.

Kagome took a deep breath to steady her nerves and turned her makeshift key.

_Click_.

The door opened.

She was so ecstatic that she could have cried. Not that she would have in front of Sesshomaru, but she could have.

Her kidnappers were sitting around a table, scrutinizing what looked like a blueprint. Their expressions ranged from genuine happiness on her account (Sango and Miroku), to forced nonchalance (Inuyasha), to _real_ nonchalance (Sesshomaru).

"Time?" The eldest of whom intoned.

"Seven twenty-five," replied Miroku dutifully.

"So thirty-two minutes, then." He looked at her thoughtfully. "Tell me, Kagome. How do you plan on breaking into a police station with times that abysmal?"

The girl had to literally bite her tongue to keep from retorting. '_That insufferable asshole!_'

"Oh come on, Sess. Be nice. Thirty-two isn't bad for her first time," said Sango with an apologetic smile in her friend's direction.

"It isn't _bad_," he agreed slowly, "but it isn't good either. She will have to drastically improve before Friday."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Of course I'll be better by Friday. Most of what took me so long was figuring out how to do it, since _somebody_ wouldn't give me any help." The verbal jab was directed at Sesshomaru, but Miroku winced.

"We would have helped if we could," he interjected, feigning a wounded look.

"Yeah, I know, but a little direction would have helped a lot. Not that I blame you guys, of course. _He _is the one who locked me in there. The least he could have done was pointed out which tools to use. Now that I've gotten that bit figured out, I'm probably a lot faster already."

Sesshomaru arched a brow. "Oh?"

Something in that look told her that she wouldn't like what was coming next. So she swallowed nervously and replied with a cautious "Y-yes."

He merely nodded, then stood. "Alright then. Back in the room."

"What?!" She should have seen it coming, but geez! She'd just gotten out of that confounded torture cell! But, because of her big mouth, it seemed as if she would be going right back inside.

"You heard me. Let's see how much your time has improved."

Realizing that there was no use in arguing, the girl stomped past the silver-haired man, grumbling various 'nicknames' for him under her breath. Once past the door she'd grown to know ever so well, Sesshomaru locked her inside once again. She sighed. '_At least I know what I'm doing this time._' She looked down at the tools, which, by some horrendous feat, had all begun to look a lot a like. '_Kind of._'

It didn't take nearly as long to get out that time, thank goodness.

"Miroku?" The oldest kidnapper inquired.

"Eight minutes, twenty-three seconds."

Sesshomaru gave that nod of his again. "Reduced by nearly a fourth." He paused, as if weighing the numbers in his head. "It's better."

So, when he went back to that blasted door _again_ and gestured for her to enter, she was just about ready to rip her hair out.

"But _why_?" she whined, stubbornly keeping her distance. "I didn't even say anything this time!"

He gave her a deadpan stare which left no room for argument. "In."

She pouted– yes, _pouted_– but reluctantly shuffled into the room. She didn't batt an eyelash when she heard the door close behind her, but nearly had a heart attack when she turned to find that Sesshomaru had locked himself into the room with her.

The girl just stood there, her brain refusing to make sense of what stood before her. '_Sesshomaru... in here...?_'

He rolled his eyes. "Well?" A pale, slim hand gestured impatiently to the lock.

"Oh. OH!" She scrambled to the door and grabbed the tools she'd become very familiar with over the past hour and got to work. Her jailer merely stood there, remaining silent until she had finished six minutes later.

"You're getting better."

"Wow. Was that a compliment?" she inquired snidely.

"That was a fact," he replied with a minute shrug. "Your method is inefficient, though. And you are using the wrong tools."

"The wrong tools?" she repeated, her voice shrill with indignance. "What do you mean, the wrong tools? They work, don't they?"

"Yes. As you demonstrated, these tools work. But there are better ways to get through a simple pin and tumbler."

"A...what?"

Sesshomaru sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This lock is called a pin and tumbler. They are very common."

The girl hesitated for a moment before posing a question. "But the police station wouldn't have one of these, would they?"

"No. Not on the exterior door, at least. They have a much sturdier, much more reliable lock."

"Which means harder to pick."

"Harder, but not impossible." He rifled through the tools she had left in an unceremonious pile on the floor, before picking up two. "These are the two you will need."

Kagome examined them for a few moments, frowning, before:

"Mine were cooler looking,"

"..." She could see him physically restrain himself from biting her head off. "Perhaps," he replied stiffly after a long, calming breath. "But they were designed with a more... sophisticated lock in mind. With this lock–"

"A pin and tumbler."

He stared at her for the longest time before nodding. "Yes. With a pin and tumbler, all of the extras merely get in the way. It'd be like trying to prune houseplants with a chainsaw."

The image of Sesshomaru pruning _anything_, let alone with a chainsaw, was too amusing for her not to grin, at least. "I see," the girl said around a giggle.

He ignored it. "Once you have your wrench in like so." He inserted a crude version of her Turner Doodad into the lock. "You scrub the pins, like this." A thin rod with little curves in the end was inserted and pulled out several times in rapid succession.

"What's that do?" she asked.

He didn't even look up. "Sometimes a pin or two will give just by doing this."

"So? What's the point?"

"It's faster."

"But you'd get to all of the pins eventually doing it my way. It'd only take an extra, what? Ten seconds?"

At her last quip the room's older occupant stopped and looked up at her with an exasperated sigh. "You will be breaking into a police station. The ten seconds you gain by scrubbing the pins could be ten seconds that you are out of the building before the alarms go off."

She actually felt abashed. "Sorry," she mumbled, before all of his preceding speech caught up with her. "Wait. Alarms? You aren't going to disable the alarms?!"

"It's too much trouble to disable them completely, but we can create a delay easily enough. It shouldn't take too long to drop the tape on a desk, so ninety seconds should be sufficient. We should be able to give you that much without too much trouble."

"Should be!" she mimicked with a snort. "So what about _after _the alarms go off, O great one?"

"You said you could run, did you not?"

Kagome stared at him, her mouth agape. "You've got to be kidding me! I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were _trying _to get me arrested!"

It was his turn to snort then. "You won't get arrested as long as you do what you're told. Now. After you scrub the pins..."

After Sesshomaru's demonstration, which took hardly any time at all, Kagome tried her hand at the lock, using his hints.

"Angle it up more. That's it."

It took her less than three minutes.

He barely gave her an acknowledging glance before locking the door still another time. "Again."

She worked the lock time after time under his discerning eye until she was able to get it unlocked, without his help, in less than a minute.

Her final attempt took only thirty-four seconds. He gave a slow nod (of approval, she'd hoped), and left the room. Victorious, she followed. Sango, Inuyasha, and Miroku were still huddled over the blueprint, which, upon closer inspection, appeared to be comprised of several sheets of computer paper.

"Is that the station?" she asked no one in particular.

Inuyasha gave an affirmative "Mm."

"Wow. How'd you get it so fast?"

He looked up at her, golden eyes glinting with mischief. "Internet," he replied with a grin.

"..."

'_Oh-dear-Gods._' Since when had he been able to smirk like that? Her heart just about went into palpitations, banging wildly against her ribcage. She'd never realized just how _perfect_ his teeth were. And, dear heavens above, was that a hint of a _dimple_?!A few moments passed before she realized that she was gawking. Color sprang, unbidden, to her cheeks, as she prayed to any god who would listen that no one, _especially_ not Sango, had noticed.

Thankfully, Sesshomaru interrupted before the other girl could say anything about what she may or may not have seen.

"So?" His almost bored-sounding monosyllabic inquiry was like a command, snapping his accomplices to attention.

"I did some research regarding who could receive the tape and use it to our advantage with minimal interference from us, and our best bet for the drop would be Detective Mitsun. He's a real bleeding heart, but very thorough," reported Sango, giving the older silver-haired sibling a stack of papers.

He leafed through them for a few moments. "He's young," he intoned finally.

"Yes, but highly recommended through his peer evaluations."

Sesshomaru paused for a moment, then nodded. "That will do. Which desk is his?" He stooped over the table, scanning the blueprint.

"Upper right corner." She pointed the desk, represented by a large rectangle, out to him.

"Hmm."

'_Well _that_ doesn't sound good,_' mused Kagome, looking from one of her kidnappers to the other.

"I know, I know," she hurriedly added. "It's the furthest from the door. But he's supposed to be worth it."

"Fine." He took a deep breath and glanced at their pseudo captive. "You will need all the time you can get on Friday, Higurashi." With that final note, Sesshomaru took out his cell phone and left the room.

:-:

Much later that night, while the Manor's other occupants dozed, Kagome lay awake, staring at the canopy above her. She simply _could not _fall asleep. Her mind seemed very opposed to the idea of settling down for the night, and her body was following suite. With a frustrated groan, the girl sat up in bed. Obviously, she was not going to get her recommended eight hours of shuteye that night. Her eyes wandered the room in search of something to pass the time. '_A book? Nah._' She didn't feel like reading. Her gaze rested on a nearby notebook. '_Maybe drawing? Nah._' She wasn't much in the mood for drawing either. A strong breeze shifted the tree limbs outside on the balcony, drawing her gaze.

With nothing better to do, she got climbed of bed and wandered out onto the balcony. The sight that greeted her was breathtaking. The moon, full overhead, was reflected almost perfectly in the lake below. Wind gently stirred the water's surface, creating little wrinkles in the large white orb and surrounding dark sky. Suddenly, she realized what she was in the mood for; what she wanted to do to pass the time.

She wanted to swim.

Of course, it was a horrible idea. If Sesshomaru found out, he'd probably be furious. '_But then again,_' the girl mused, chewing her lip, '_if he _didn't_ want me to go out for a swim, he would have told me not to. And Sango was there when I bought the swimsuit. Heck, I even told her that I wanted to go swimming out there some day. She didn't say anything either. So there._'

But, justify it as she might, there was a feeling of uneasiness in the pit of her stomach as she slipped into her swimsuit. It was still there, tightening into an anxious little ball, even after she'd grabbed a towel and headed out into the hallway. Every single ordinary nighttime sound, from the creaking of the floorboards to the whirring of the ceiling fans, was interpreted to be a certain silver-haired man, ready to spring forth from the darkness and lecture her. '_Get over yourself, Kagome! He never said that you couldn't!_' Then her Jiminy Cricket kicked in. '_But then again, I doubt he specifically told Sango not to roller blade in the house, either. And we saw how happy he was about that._' She paused at the bottom of the stairs, hesitant to continue.

'_Oh, well. I'm down here now, and all dressed up. I might as well take a quick little dip._' With that thought in mind, she slipped out the back door and tiptoed stealthily to the lake.

Once she was standing at the water's edge, she forgot the reason for her anxiety. The night was perfect for a swim. It was warm out, but the light breeze kept it from being overtly so. The flowers were ever so slightly perfuming the air, and the water looked oh-so inviting. Without any further hesitation, the girl climbed up onto the pier and then slowly lowered herself into the water.

It was colder than she'd expected, but water always was at first. Especially around that time of year. '_First things first._' She took a deep breath and ducked under the water, submersing herself completely. It only took a moment or two for her body to get over the chill, after which she came up again. '_There. The hard part's over. Now for the fun stuff._' She swam around a bit, using some of the strokes she remembered from her private swimming lessons that her mother had _insisted_ that she take. '_Well at least they came to some good._' After she reviewed what she remembered, which took all of three minutes, she turned onto her back to float and stared up into the sky.

'_Gods. You can even see the stars out here._'

For how long she lay there, floating in the water, she had no idea. Not that it mattered, really. She was content to stare up at the stars, letting the lake guide her to it's center. She was happy, relaxed, and feeling oh-so-peaceful.

At least she was, until:

"What the hell do you think you're doing out there?"

Kagome sat up with a startled gasp, or tried to at least. What she accomplished instead was inhaling a mouthful of water. She flailed fitfully, trying to find something to grab hold of until she caught her breath, but no such anchor revealed itself. '_Ok, Kagome. Don't panic_.' But her thoughts ran into a brick wall somewhere along the way before reaching her thrashing limbs. Seconds seemed like hours, and hours seemed like days as her lungs yearned for air, but found only water instead. Things seemed to be going downhill fast, but then her foot collided with something. Something solid. Something that wrapped an arm around her and dragged her up to the surface. Something that was muttering some rather colorful and rather familiar swear words as it maneuvered her to the lake's edge, where the water was shallow enough for her to stand.

She coughed and sputtered for ages, a hand clapping her firmly on the back to help her lungs along in the quest for oxygen. When she was finally able, Kagome took a very deep, very grateful breath. '_Is it just me, or does the air taste sweeter now?_'

"You okay?" the something asked. She had forgotten all about him. And yes, it was definitely a 'him'. If the deep voice hadn't tipped her off, then the broad, masculine shoulders surely would have. Yes. They were very broad and very masculine...

...and also very bare. As was the rest of the something, or as much as she could see above the water, at least.

Her head snapped up, almost of its own accord. Amber eyes, laced with concern, peered down at her.

"Inuyasha?" she squeaked, partially from shock and partially from the mortification of ogling his very bare chest right there in front of his face.

"Are you_ trying_ to kill yourself or something?" Needless to say, that was not the affirmative response she had been expecting.

She gave him a puzzled look. "Of course I'm not trying to kill myself. What are you talking about?"

"Then why are you lounging around in the middle of a lake when you're _obviously_ a piss-poor swimmer?"

Confusion all too quickly gave way to anger. "I am not! I'm a good swimmer. No. Screw that. I'm a _great _swimmer."

He snorted. "Which explains the 'drowning sailor' impression you were doing just a few minutes ago.

"Hey! That was _your _fault. Not mine!"

"My fault? How the hell was that my fault?"

"You scared me!"

"I couldn't have scared you! I've been standing on that damn pier for the past five minutes!'

She blinked up at him. "Really?"

"Yeah. I figured you must have seen me."

"If I had seen you, don't you think I would have said something?"

"I just thought you were ignoring me."

"What? Why would I?"

He rolled his eyes. "Since when have girls needed a reason to act bitchy?"

She had to bite her tongue to stop her scathing comeback. Instead, she just glared at him. "Well I _didn't_ see you, so you _did_ scare me," she retorted after a few moments.

"Sorry."

His apology, although blunt, shocked her with its sincerity. It actually took her a little while to recover. "It's ok, I guess," she replied after a bit, then glanced up at him curiously. "So what are you doing out here?"

"I should be asking you that," he answered pointedly.

'_This _is_ his house, so I suppose he has more of a right to be out here than I do._' "I couldn't sleep," came her sheepish admission.

He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Figured as much. I heard you pass my room earlier, but I just thought you were going down to the kitchen for a drink or something. When you didn't come back for a while, I thought I'd come and investigate." He shrugged, the motion smooth and controlled under her hands.

'_Wait. Under... my..._'

Until that moment, Kagome didn't realize that her hands still rested lightly on his shoulders, and his still had a firm grip around her middle. Color rose to her cheeks as she slowly edged away and hoped that he couldn't see her blushing. "Uhm... Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"You're shirtless."

He looked down at himself, then shrugged again. "Yeah. And?"

She covered her eyes with her palm. '_He just doesn't get it, does he?_' "_Why_ are you shirtless?"

"More clothes mean more drag in the water, dummy. Which means that saving your ass would have taken longer."

"Excuse me? This entire thing was _your_ fault! The least you could do was 'save my ass,' as you so crudely put it!"

He chuckled, quietly and sarcastically. "Oh whatever. You can't talk to me about crudely putting anything. I heard some of the stuff you were calling Sesshomaru tonight."

She stood up straight, stiffening her shoulders, and gave a haughty sniff. "He deserved it. I mean, he could have just showed me how to pick the lock to begin with. Locking me in that room was unnecessary."

The boy just shrugged again. "Maybe."

"What do you mean, 'maybe'?!"

"Well, you won't forget how to pick a pin and tumbler, now will you?"

She scowled at him for a moment before replying. "I guess not."

"Sess may be an asshole, but he usually doesn't do things without a good reason."

Kagome crossed her arms across her stomach, not replying. "Well. I was beginning to wonder just what kind of place your parents had left you. I mean, what kind of mansion has a sitting room that locks from the _outside_?" she stated after a while.

Inuyasha laughed outright at that. "Sesshomaru changed some of the locks a few years ago. He did the same thing to me, Sango, and Miroku that he's doing to you." He eyed her for a moment before continuing. "He's probably going to take you to the second floor tomorrow. That's the next hardest lock, and then there are two more locks that are actually on doors. After that, he just gives you a model to work with."

Kagome scoffed. "And just who made him the master locksmith?"

The silver-haired boy thought about it for a second or two. "The guy he apprenticed under, I guess."

"Wait. Sesshomaru apprenticed with a locksmith? A real locksmith?"

"That's the best way to learn. I mean, anybody on the street can get through a lock, but hardly anybody can do it without leaving a trace. Since Sesshomaru apprenticed, he can get through all of the more common locks, and most of the fancy ones too."

"Only most?"

"Well, I guess it's better to say that he can get past any lock, because he can. It's just that a few of the better ones can't be picked without making a helluva lot of noise. By the time you've done all of that, though, it's kinda pointless to just pick the lock. You might as well just kick the damn door down, or take it out with a battering ram. Hell, it'd probably be faster that way."

She just stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Oh."

"Probably more than you wanted to know, huh?"

"No. Not really. I guess I just wasn't expecting it, that's all."

He just nodded silently for a moment, before asking "So are you going inside now?"

"I thought I was, but I think I'm going to stay out here for a little while longer. You?"

"I'd probably better stay out here just to make sure you don't drown again."

She gave him a sweet smile. "Aww, Inuyasha. I didn't know you cared," she crooned sarcastically.

"Keh," he snorted, crossing his arms.

She laughed at him, wading further into the lake. He followed silently. Eventually, she was so far from the edge that she had to tread water to keep her head above the surface. Inuyasha, a foot or two away, was paddling behind her.

"I suppose it's a good thing I'm learning about locks and stuff, though."

Inuyasha gave her a confused look. "Why? You want a career in breaking and entering?"

She shook her head, smiling, but somehow looking sad. "It's not about learning how to get in. It's about learning how to keep people out."

Her meaning hit him all of a sudden, leaving him nearly speechless. "Oh," he managed finally.

She gave a bitter chuckle. "Yeah. Kaoru's good with locks too."

He knew it was a touchy subject, so he continued with caution. "But you aren't going home. That's why you helped us. You're going to stay here until school starts."

The girl sighed, her gaze settling on the water mere inches away. "Yeah. But there will be other summers, Inuyasha. And don't forget about the holidays." She glanced at him, sparing him some semblance of a smile.

They remained quiet for a while, him at a loss for words, and her deep in thought.

"Have you tried changing the lock on your bedroom door?"

She gave that laugh again, and it nearly gave him chills. "I've tried that, and just about every other trick I can think of. The chair under the doorknob, all of it. When that didn't work, I started sleeping in a different room every night." She paused thoughtfully. "That one actually worked for a while. Then he told mom, and she made me stop."

He couldn't veil his look of contempt at mention of her mother. "But why?"

"Well, part of it was because of the way Kaoru brought it up, that sly devil." The girl rolled her eyes. "He told her that he thought it was a part of a 'complex' that I was developing or something, and that he thought I should see a psychiatrist about it. But Mom would rather die than admit that there's anything wrong with her perfect little family, and he knows it. Especially now that she's trying to be elected as a judge. So she put an end to that rather quickly." She shrugged, feigning indifference. "So the best option really is getting another lock. I can ask Sesshomaru about which one's best in the morning."

"A better lock is a good option," Inuyasha agreed with a nod. "But the best option would be getting the hell out of there."

She shook her head. "I can't."

"Why not? Your kid brother went to live with your aunt. Why can't y–"

"Because I _can't_. Souta has a reason for being out there. The best boy's school in the country is close by, so she had a perfectly legitimate reason for sending her only son to live with family out there. But if I left too, when Shikon's the best girl's school around _and _close to home, what excuse would she have? People would start to talk."

"Screw people! Nobody would blame you for getting away from that asshole, Kagome!"

She gave a frustrated sigh so potent that it sounded like a sob. "You don't get it, Inuyasha! One of us had to stay, no matter what!"

"So you're saying that if you told her that son of a bitch was molesting you, she'd make you stay anyway?"

"If I told her? Don't you think I've tried to tell her, Inuyasha? The very first time it happened, I told her everything. But Mom, fair as she is, let him explain. You know what he told her? That we were wrestling over the tv remote. And she believed him." He could see the tears starting to appear in her eyes, but she blinked them away furiously, shaking her head. "No. I've got to stay. Because if I go, that means Souta has to come back." She paused for a moment, then shuddered. "I can't do that to him. I just can't."

Inuyasha didn't say a word for a while. "What happened?" he asked after several moments of silence. He knew that there was a good chance that she wouldn't answer, but didn't take back his question.

The girl took a deep, shuddering breath. Her voice was quiet when she started to speak. "Kaoru snuck into my room one night almost a year ago. I think it was the first time he did it, while I was awake, anyway. I freaked out, yelling at him and stuff. S-souta heard, I guess. He came in and he saw..." Kagome paused to inhale again, as if simply retelling the chain of events stole the very air from her lungs, "...everything. He saw everything. He started screaming at him, and trying to pull him away from me. Kaoru got impatient, I guess, and he hit him." She squeezed her eyes shut, then continued. "It was only once that time. After that, Souta started sleeping in my room to keep him from bothering me.

"After a while, though, I guess Kaoru got fed up. He would start hitting him for little stuff. Because he'd do his homework in the kitchen instead of in the study. Because he didn't separate his laundry just right. Because his books weren't on the right shelves. He'd give him these horrible bruises. And I know they were bad, because Mom started to get concerned. But Kaoru just chalked it up to boys being boys, or some bullshit like that."

"And she bought it."

She snorted. "Of course she did. She believes just about anything he says, because it makes so much damn sense. The way he puts it, things are perfect. Just the way things are supposed to be, and just the way she wants it." She shuddered again, sinking a bit as she faltered in her water-treading. "The last time he hit him, Souta fell and hit his head. He ended up with a concussion."

He saw the tears start up again, but that time they ran in slow rivulets down her cheeks, unchecked. She reached up to dry her face, but only wetting it more. She gave a jaded chuckle, then started to swim for shore.

"Where are you going?" Inuyasha inquired quietly, heading after her.

"Back to my room."

It was few moments before he caught up with her. By the time he was able to grasp her wrist, the water was shallow enough for both of them to stand in. For some reason, seeing her so upset bothered him. A lot. '_Probably because you drove her to it,_' he mused bitterly, then swore at himself. "Come here."

"No." She tried to tug away from him.

"Kagome."

"Leave me alone, Inuyasha," she hissed angrily. "I just want to go back to my room. I'm tired." But she stopped running away from him. And, when he put a hand on her shoulder and spun her around to face him, she didn't object.

Her petite frame slumped wearily as she sighed. "Gods, Inuyasha. I'm so tired," she muttered as he closed the arm's length of space between them.

"I know." He didn't say anything else. Instead, he simply stood there with her. She didn't appear to be coping, as she stood there, nearly still as stone. He wouldn't have even noticed that she was crying if it had not been for her back, shaking under his hand with each uneven breath she took, or for the slow, hot drops of her tears falling on his collarbone.

':-:'

"Life sucks," Kagome said several long minutes later.

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah."

They stood there in silence for a while longer.

"I did the best I could, though," she mumbled, resting her forehead against his shoulder. "I got him into the school and everything."

"You got him in? How?"

"Well, I called the principal and sent letters to the school board to get him approved to switch schools. Then I took the placement test for him–"

"You did what? Not you, Miss Prim 'n' Proper!"

She actually laughed at him. "I knew he would purposely do poorly on it, since it was so far from home and he was so keen on protecting me." She shrugged. "It was stuff he'd been tutored on, so I know he could have gotten in on his own. I don't feel bad."

"That's against the law, you know."

She looked up at him. "And what are you going to do? Have me arrested?"

He chuckled. "Right. Because I'm really in good with the cops, you know," he retorted sarcastically.

"I bet." She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder once again. "Speaking of cops, tell me. How exactly did you and Sesshomaru meet Sango and Miroku?"

He wasn't unaware of her sudden segue, but chose to ignore it. He'd been expecting it _long_ before then, and the least he could do was attempt to even the information-giving score. "We were assigned to work with them on a job a few years back."

"A job for Naraku?" She asked.

She could only tell that he shook his head by the way his chin trailed through her hair. "Nah. Not for Naraku. Somebody else. I doubt you'd know her."

"Her?" '_Well that's a shock._'

"Yeah. There are chicks in illegal business, you know."

"Well, obviously."

Inuyasha scowled at her. "Not _that_ sort of illegal business, smartass."

She couldn't stifle a giggle. "Ok. Sorry. You were assigned together on a job. And?"

"We liked the way they worked. They liked the way we worked. So, we just kinda..."

"Joined forces?"

"Something like that. But usually the good guys are the ones who join forces."

"Oh, that's right. The good guys 'join forces', and the bad guys are 'in cahoots.'" She snorted. "You two are in cahoots with Sango and Miroku."

"Keh. Whatever."

But she could almost _hear_ him smiling. "You guys aren't that bad. You're helping me out, after all." She thought for a moment. "Except for Sesshomaru. From what Sango's told me, he's been after Naraku this whole time. He couldn't give a damn about me."

"Maybe. But if Sesshomaru really wanted to be the bad guy when it comes to you, you'd be dead right now. He could have handed you over to Naraku as soon as he got the tape."

"He could have." She hesitated before continuing. "But would you have let him?"

"..."

He wasn't sure how to respond to that one.

Kagome just chuckled quietly. "Nevermind. Forget I asked." She pulled away from him with a small sigh. "Man, I should have thought this out better. Now, when I go back in there, the shower's going to wake Sango."

"There's one in the shed over there." He gestured to a little shack that she'd noticed on the lawn.

The girl raised an eyebrow at him. "A shower in a shed," she repeated incredulously.

"Hey, don't knock it. It's better than it sounds. Come on." He guided her to the little hut and showed her inside. "See?"

"Yeah. It's not so bad. There's even soap."

He laughed, shutting the door behind him on his way out.

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?" He peeked back inside.

"What about you?"

"I'll wait until you're done."

"Ok." She fiddled with the water until it was warm enough. "Oh, and Inuyasha?"

"Hnn?"

"You peek in here and you're a dead man, you hear me?"

He didn't reply, but just chortled as he left.

Ten minutes and a surprisingly good shower later, Kagome opened the door to the hut, clad only in her towel

"Geez. Do you think you took long enough?"

"Bite me." She stuck her tongue out at him, and he laughed outright.

"Go to bed. It's late, and you're delirious."

She couldn't argue with him on the first part, and chose to ignore the second. "Yeah. I'd better get some sleep. I bet Sesshomaru's really going to be breathing down my neck tomorrow."

"Yeah. He is."

"Inuyasha?"

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "What do you want?"

She glowered, punching him playfully, then became somber. "Uhm... don't tell anybody about this. Please. I just... I just don't think I can do that yet."

"Pssh. Who would I tell?"

'_Loosely translated: Ok, Kagome. I won't breathe a word of this to anyone,_' the girl thought with a smile. "Thanks," she said after a few moments, hugging him with one arm while the other clutched at her towel for dear life

"Eh. It's alright."

"So... uhm... goodnight, then."

The youth merely grunted an 'Mm" in response. He could hear her quiet giggle waft back to him on the wind as he watched her towel-clad silhouette tiptoe back to the house.

Inuyasha sighed, entering the shower shed. Things were more complicated than he'd ever imagined with regards to the Higurashi household. Technically he only had to worry about her for the rest of the summer. But he had to be honest with himself. There was no way he was going to let her go back to that house unless he was _sure _that Kaoru couldn't lay a finger on her. He wasn't sure why he felt so obligated to keep her safe, but he wasn't going contemplate it then. He had all summer for that. '_Gods above, Kagome. What have you gotten yourself into?_'

A.N: Whew!! Fourteen full pages! This hurt a BUNCH! Oh, and for those of you who were wondering just what the hell was taking me so long to update, I have one word for you (three letters): JOB. If it hadn't been for my new work fetish, I could have done more on this story. I just realized the other day that I quit updating this story around the time I got my first job. So yeah. Don't get pissed with me for not updating. Take it up with THA MAN. But not for much longer. I have a week left at my current job, then I'm done. I put in my notice a little while ago, so I'm pretty much set (YAY!). Which means I'll be able to write (and therefore update) more. Which also means that I would like a wee bit of feedback. I'm going to leave it at that. No begging for reviews. Simply requesting a bit of reader response.

Tata, darlings!

-L.O


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